


Once Upon a Dream

by msalexiscriss



Category: Glee
Genre: Assault, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Foreign Language, Friendship, Homophobic Language, M/M, Original Character(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-24
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-04-10 10:46:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 149,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4388813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msalexiscriss/pseuds/msalexiscriss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Klaine AU. Since his freshman year at WMHS Kurt’s life had been a living hell, but things went from bad to worse by the time he started his senior year. Between slushies, verbal threats, and his face against the lockers every day, Kurt went from being just afraid to being terrified to even go to school. An incident with one of his biggest bullies shakes his life, and inadvertently he falls into depression. In an attempt to help his depressed son, Burt gives Kurt a fancy notebook to write his innermost feelings, and when the boy discovers the secrets behind that notebook his life changes completely. <i>Did Burt give Kurt a way out of hell?</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is mainly about finding your own happiness, but it's not the typical rom-com fic. In fact it has a bit of fantasy, so I'm kind of nervous about it. I suck at summaries so I apologize in advance for the summary of this fic, but I didn't know how to write it without giving away the main plot. I think it's better when you guys discover the story through the chapters. Anyway, I tried to use mostly S2 Kurt’s canon story, but since some of the events I used for the story didn’t happen in the order or way I used them, I changed them a bit to fit the timeline and plot of the fic. I really hope you like it and please feel free to leave a comment or contact me via tumblr. This is the first time that I write something like this, so I don't know what you guys are going to think of it, but I really hope you like it. 
> 
> General Warnings: There’s a bit of angst in Kurt’s storyline, but nothing very descriptive. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Kurt, Blaine or any of the characters mentioned in this story. The story was slightly based on the parallel world used in the book, Stravaganza: The city of masks, by Mary Hoffman.

**Prologue**

In a tower at the far end side of a palace, four men were seated around a small table covered in black silk. The oldest man of the four, known for his ability in card reading, methodically placed twelve cards next to the other until he made what looked like a strange rhombus.

“Weird,” he murmured.

With trembling hands he placed a thirteenth card in the middle of the set. A few weeks ago, he had dealt a similar pattern, not the same, but very close.

“Very weird,” he murmured again.

The rest of the men gathered there, leaned over to look at the cards displayed on the table and shrugged. They didn’t know how to read cards, but they knew that when _Signor_ Raymond was frowning while reading his precious cards, something was not right.

“What is it?” One of them asked intrigued. His blond hair was gleaming in the candlelight.

Raymond frowned without looking up. His eyes were still fixed on the cards he had in front of him. The card in the middle—the most important one—was the Sword, signifying danger. Great danger. Raymond was used to that particular card setting the tone of some of his readings. It was not a surprise either to see the King of Water as the seventh card to the right of the Sword. Danger often appeared next to the Royal family, and the King of Water card was obviously representing Richard Anderson, the King of the Kingdom. But the Prince of Air was the card to the left of the Sword, and he had no idea what that card could signify. Last month that card had been the Wheel of Fortune.

It was the oddest reading he had ever seen. The only number cards to appear were fours, all four of them, one from each element—Water, Fire, Wind and Earth. They were placed on either side of the King and the Prince. All the other cards were major arcanas—the Lovers, the Magician, the Hanged Man, the Tower, the Moon and most disturbingly, Death.

“Ray?” The man with blond hair asked again.

Raymond looked at the array for a very long time before sweeping the cards up, shuffling them thoroughly and setting them out again. King of Water, Four of Fire, the Lovers, the Magician…by the time he set the Sword in the middle, Raymond’s hands were shaking badly. He had dealt exactly the same pattern.

Hastily, he swept the cards up again and wrapped them in the black silk. The other men exchanged concerned looks while Raymond stowed the cards in a drawer and took out a red velvet bag containing glass stones. Closing his eyes, Raymond put a hand in the bag and drew out a handful of stones, and cast them lightly on the table. The stones glittered under the moonlight.

Each piece of shining glass had a silver hieroglyph graved in the middle. Frowning, Raymond identified a crown, a heart, a mask, the number 16...a book. He jumped when he saw the book.

Stunned, he stood up and glanced to the other men in the table. “I do not like this.” He said, sharing his concern.

“Evidently.” One of the men replied sardonically. He didn’t like the art of card reading, but one of his best friends was a true believer and his other friend, well, he was always curious about everything.  

“What’s in the cards?” The blond man asked curiously.

Raymond didn’t reply and instead walked to one of the cabinets there and took a pair of twelve-sided dice. He threw them, six and ten, eight and eight, seven and nine—whatever he looked tonight the number sixteen kept coming up. That and the symbols of a young man and danger. Whatever it meant, it was linked with the King or the entire Royal family, and he would have to tell them all about it. Knowing Richard, he knew it was a long shot. The King didn’t pay much attention to the significance of his divinations, however, his youngest son, who was seated at the table, was a true believer.

 _‘Is he involved in all of this?’_ He thought to himself. After all the Prince of Air could be him, his brother or any young man for that matter.

“Ray what is it? Tell us! You’re scaring us!” The last man, the one with the curly dark hair asked, looking at the old man with desperate eyes. He wanted an answer, and he wanted it now.

Raymond took a deep breath. “Danger Blaine...I see great danger.”

Blaine looked at the other two men and gulped. If Raymond was talking about something his cards had told him, then he wasn’t kidding and this was serious. Blaine had no doubt about it.

“Who’s in danger?” He asked worriedly.

“I don’t know.” Raymond shrugged. _‘You? Your family? The entire Kingdom? A young boy?’_ He thought to himself. Sometimes he wished his cards could give him all the answers, but unfortunately they couldn't. So for now, he would have to let it go and be aware of what could happen. After all, the future was always uncertain. Predictable, but uncertain.

 

**Chapter 1**

Kurt was running desperately to his car. Pushing his way through the flood of students who walked around the halls of the William McKinley High School. Adrenaline ran through his veins with every stride he took. He had to escape, he had to run away. What had just happened in the male’s dressing room was, simply, the worst experience of his life so far.

Dave Karofsky, his biggest bully and one of the members of the football team, had just kissed him—kissed him. Kurt could still taste the sweaty breath of Dave’s mouth against his own, and his body trembled with chills every time he remembered that menacing look the football player had given him before storming out of the dressing room.

 _‘Why me?’_ He questioned himself.

Tears were all over Kurt’s face when he bumped into Ms. Emma Pillsbury, William’s McKinley counselor.

“Hey, Kurt! Are you okay?” She asked, noticing the tears running down Kurt's usually pale, but now practically see-through, face.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He lied.

“Then, why are you crying?” She asked, in her usual sweet and attentive demeanor.

“It's nothing! I hmmm…I have to go!” He said, and ran out of the school.

Kurt still had the Glee rehearsal, but after what had just happened, he simply couldn’t stay, so he reached his car and after dropping the keys twice, he managed to get inside and start the engine. He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm his trembling body. He had to arrive home safely and to this point, he wasn’t sure if he could even make it out of the parking lot without crashing his car against a tree, or some passing-by student.

He looked toward the main entrance of the school just when Ms. Pillsbury was walking out. She looked worried and was standing on her tiptoes looking for someone. Surely looking for him.

“Crap!” Kurt muttered, and with one last breath he put the car in reverse and drove away.

o-o-o-o-o

Half an hour later, when he finally made it to his house, Kurt expected to find an empty and quiet place. His dad was supposed to be at the tire shop, Carole was away for the weekend to visit some relatives, and Finn was still at school. But to his surprise he found his dad sitting on the couch watching a football game.

“Kurt!” Burt Hummel exclaimed when he first noticed him. “What are you doing here? Didn’t you have Glee practice or something?” He asked surprised.  

Kurt didn’t reply. _What could he say to his dad_? He knew him so well, so instead of staying there and reply, he just sobbed loudly and ran up the stairs.

“Kurt! Wait! Why are you crying? What happened?” Burt asked worriedly, following Kurt to his room.

“Nothing dad!” Kurt yelled. “I just need to be alone!” He said, slamming and locking the door behind him.

Completely heartbroken, Kurt dropped his bag to the floor and fell into his bed, covering his head with a pillow to drown out the sound of his own tears and his dad’s desperate knocks on the door. He kept crying for hours, letting out the pain he felt inside with every shed tear, until he eventually fell asleep.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt opened his eyes again the first thing he noticed was that he had a blanket around his body, and he was not alone. His dad was there, uncomfortably seated at a chair placed in front of the large bed, and snoring like a bear.

Kurt looked at him with tenderness. His dad was a good man and the greatest dad ever, but this time Kurt knew he would have to keep the kiss incident to himself. His dad had just had a heart attack a few months ago and he didn’t want to worry him with his existential problems. He would have to solve what had happened with Dave all by himself. He was not willing to risk his dad’s health just because some stupid Neanderthal couldn't accept the fact that Kurt was gay and proud of it.

“Dad?” Kurt whispered, slightly poking his dad trying to wake him up. “Wake up dad! Come on! You can’t stay there all night! I’m fine, I promise.”

Burt opened his eyes and looked at Kurt with sleepy, but still concerned, eyes.

“Really, dad, I’m fine. Go to your bed, I’m okay.”

Burt looked at him again, scowling in discontent. He was not pleased with the _‘I’m fine’_ answer, but he knew his son too well to know that tonight he wouldn’t get an answer. “Okay, okay, I’ll go. But we will talk about what happened to you tomorrow. No excuses, Kurt!”

Kurt smiled reassuringly and nodded, helping his dad to walk out the room. His mind was already plotting the cover up story he would have to tell in the morning. He hated to lie, but this time, he had to.

“Goodnight, dad.” He said.

“Night, Kiddo.” Burt said, walking away and closing the door behind him.

o-o-o-o-o

The next morning Kurt woke up with a soft smile playing around his lips despite the sadness he felt inside. He already had a complete, and very believable lie ready to tell to his dad as soon as the latter asked him about what had happened the day before.

He took a quick shower and after getting himself ready for school, he went to Finn’s room to wake him up. His brother was the laziest teenage on the planet, so naturally it was Kurt’s duty to wake him up every day for school.

“Wake up, Finn! It’s time!” Kurt said, kicking the mattress softly.

“Five more minutes.” Finn mumbled.

“No! It’s time! Come on, wake up!” He said, pulling the covers.

“Kurt!” Finn protested.

“What!? Stop complaining and thank whomever you believe in for having a very nice brother who wakes you up every single morning! Now get up!” Kurt said, trying not to laugh. Sometimes his brother—actually step brother, but he didn’t like that label—acted like a toddler.

“Fine! Fine!” Finn muttered with his eyes still closed.

Kurt huffed. “I’m serious, Finn! It’s late!” He said, walking out the room just when Finn was dragging himself out of bed.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt entered the kitchen, he was not surprised to find his dad already there with his favorite mug of coffee and the newspaper’s sports section in hand. Kurt knew that was Burt’s way to start every important conversation.

“Morning, dad!” Kurt said, trying to fake a very enthusiastic smile.

“Good morning, Kurt. I made some breakfast, you want some?” He asked.

It was extremely weird when his dad took care of the kitchen; it was usually Carole or Kurt the ones in charge of making food for everybody. Healthy and edible food.

“Sure, thanks!”

Kurt sat down and started eating the scramble eggs that his dad had managed to prepare without burning them. The awkward silence filled the room as the two men waited for the other to make the first move. After some very long minutes, Burt cleared his throat and Kurt breathed deeply.

_‘Show time!’_

“So…” Burt said, “what happened yesterday? Why were you crying? And don’t you dare tell me that nothing happened because you cried for hours, Kurt! Hours! I want to know the truth, young man. Are you having problems at school?”

“No dad, nothing serious happened. It’s actually pretty silly now that I think about it.”

“Tell me.”

“Well…” Kurt said, slowly swallowing his last bite to gain some time. “It’s just that I’m having some hmmm, difficulties when trying to reach a note. I’ve been having these private sessions with Mr. Schue to help me get to it, but I still can’t reach it and yesterday I just kind of…lost control. I reached my breaking point and I just felt overwhelmed by everything. I was frustrated with myself and that’s why I cried. You know me, sometimes I’m over-dramatic, but don’t worry it’s nothing bad. It’s just that I really want to sing that song so badly.”

Kurt felt his dad’s gaze scrutinizing him. He smiled warmly trying to reassure his story, but something in the way Burt was looking at him showed that the old man was not completely convinced with that explanation.

“Are you sure it’s just that?” Burt asked.

“Yeah, really dad. It’s just that.”

“Okay, then try not to worry that much about that stuff, Kurt. I’m sure you’ll be able to reach that note. Just don’t pressure yourself so much, kiddo.”

“I know, dad. Sorry if I worried you…I think I overreacted with the crying, but I’m fine.” Kurt lied again.

“Okay, but if you were having other problems you would tell me, wouldn’t you? Don’t use my condition as an excuse.”

“Of course, dad!” Kurt exclaimed. “You’d be the first one to know.” He lied again.

“Good.”

Burt didn’t say another word and Kurt either. He knew his dad was not completely convinced with the explanation he had given him, but he also knew his dad was the kind of father who respected privacy, and that was something Kurt loved about him.

o-o-o-o-o

The rest of the week flew by and Kurt managed to avoid Karofsky all week. However, on Friday, he was seriously thinking about skipping school completely. He shared three classes with him and there was no way he could avoid him all day. English and Math were not a problem, but Biology was. On Fridays they usually went to the laboratory to make some practices, and Kurt knew that his bad luck had been so in tune during the past few weeks that the odds that he ended up being the lab partner of no other than Dave Karofsky were high. So before leaving for school Kurt approached Finn.

“Finn! Hey!” He said, while his brother was finishing his breakfast. “Would you mind dropping me at the Lima Bean before school?” He asked.

Every Friday Kurt and Finn shared the car to go to school. Since their parents had remarried that had been one of the conditions after letting them have separate rooms. They had to share the ride to school at least one day per week—for bonding purposes, or so they had told them. After hours of discussion they had agreed to do it every Friday because they both had Glee rehearsals and Finn didn’t have late night football practices since almost all Fridays were game days, and even though Kurt hated football—or any sport for that matter—he, as the quarterback's brother had to be there. Cheering for the team and his brother, even when half the time, Kurt didn’t know if Finn had done something good or bad. That game seriously confused him.

“Aren’t you going to school or what?” Finn asked intrigued.

“Yes, but my first class got canceled and I’m in the mood for some Mocha latte. I can walk to school from there.” Kurt suggested. His plan was entirely different, he was not walking to school—he was just going to spend the whole day at some mall until the Glee rehearsal started.

“Okay…yeah.” Finn nodded in agreement.

Kurt felt bad about lying to his brother too, but he couldn’t tell him about the incident with Dave either because he knew that once Finn knew what had happened, he would tell his dad. And Kurt didn’t want that, at least not yet.

“Thanks!” Kurt said, smiling relieved. He had just managed to put in motion his plan to avoid school. He would just have to show up at the Glee rehearsal and everything would be fine. He would be fine.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt and Finn came back from the Glee rehearsal that day, they found Burt already home. He was waiting for them in the living room. The TV was on, and some local news were echoing through the small room.

“Hey kids! How was school?” Burt asked, as soon as the boys entered the house.

“Fine.” Finn replied nonchalantly. “I have a lot of homework, but I’m dead! Mr. Schue made us dance our asses, I mean our bodies off with some mash-up of Michael Jackson.” He explained.

“Yeah, that was intense.” Kurt said, verifying the story and not wanting to talk about school. He felt exposed just by thinking about it.

“I’m going to take a shower.” Finn informed.

“Me too!” Kurt immediately said. He didn’t want to stay there with his dad alone. He had been avoiding him all week too.

“Not so fast, Kurt!” Burt said. “I need to talk to you.”

Kurt took a deep breath and turned around defeated. He had no option but to take a seat and listen to whatever his dad wanted to tell him.

“Look kid, though you said you were fine, I know you better than you think and I know you are not. You look sad and you’ve even worn the same outfit twice this week, and that’s not you at all. I know there are things that you can’t tell me because it’s kind of against the father-teenager set of rules, but I’m worried. I can’t help but worry about you, kid.”

“I’m fine dad, really.” Kurt lied.

“Yeah, okay. Look, I really want to believe you, but try to understand, buddy. You’re my son, it’s my duty to worry about you.”

“I know, dad.”

“Okay, so can you promise me that if something bad was happening to you at school or outside school, I would be the first one to know?” Burt asked carefully.

“Of course, dad!” Kurt said, trying to reassure him and feeling terribly bad on the inside for lying so blatantly. He hated to lie to his dad. He really hated it.

“Okay, well…that’s good to know. Anyway…today I was running some errands and I found this antique store near Columbus and I saw something that I knew you’d love. Here, this is for you.” He said, handing Kurt a small brown paper bag.

Kurt frowned confused and picked up the bag. It was a bit heavy, so Kurt was intrigued with its content, but before he could open it, Burt revealed what it was.

“It’s a notebook. I saw it and I liked it. It has this air of fanciness that you like so much and this drawing of an old version of Venice, and I remembered you once said you wanted to visit that city some day, so I thought you would like it…It’s not exactly that city, but it looks like it.” He explained.

Kurt took out the notebook and held it in his hands with a pretty shocked expression. It was a beautiful notebook with thin pages and a beautiful marbled framed cover in which dark reds and purples threads swirled together in the middle to create some sort of landscape of a floating city. Kurt had to scrunch his eyes a little to get the full picture.

It was amazing, his dad knew him so well. It was a perfect notebook. Beautiful, fancy and unique…just like him.

“It’s amazing dad…I love it!” Kurt exclaimed, excited for the first time in weeks.

“I thought that it could be useful. It has a lot of pages, so maybe you could use it to write your private stuff or sketch those garments designs you’re always talking about.”

Kurt smiled warmly and hugged his dad. He loved his old man so much and this was, by far, the best gift ever. Sweet and simple, just like he liked them.

“Thank you, dad! It’s amazing…you are amazing!”

“You’re welcome, kiddo. I hope you really use it! Now let’s go make some dinner…we’re running out of time!”

“Sure!” Kurt replied, smiling and putting his brand new notebook inside his bag. It was time to get into his chef persona. After all, Friday night dinners didn’t cook by themselves. Someone had to make sure that the chicken wasn't raw or burned, and with Carole still away, Kurt was the only one properly qualified to assume that role in the entire house.

o-o-o-o-o

Several days passed by and in the blink of an eye it was Friday again. The day Kurt hated the most. This time, he was not so lucky and although he skipped school like he had done last week, the thing he was so afraid that could happen finally happened. He bumped into Dave Karofsky. He had avoided him again all week, but inexplicably, Karofsky was waiting for him outside the hall of the auditorium when the Glee practice was over.

“Hummel!” He yelled.

Kurt didn’t turn around, and instead kept walking; afraid of what could happen if he faced his bully.

“I’m talking to you!” Dave yelled again.

Kurt continued walking, completely ignoring him and trying to reach the door of the choir room as soon as possible. He needed to be in a safe place. He could feel adrenaline running through his veins as he tried to make his way to the door. The room looked so close and yet so far that he stretched his right hand to try to grab the doorknob, but he was too slow because just when he was about to grab it, Karofsky stopped him.

“Don’t you dare keep ignoring me, Hummel!” Dave said, pushing Kurt and cornering him against the door and his huge bulldozer body.

Kurt looked at him scared. His whole body was trembling, but he knew he couldn’t let this idiot see him weak, so he took a deep breath to collect his thoughts and gain the courage to face his attacker.

“What do you want, Dave? To kiss me again?” He challenged him.

“Shut the fuck up, Hummel!” Dave said, pushing Kurt against the closed door. “If you dare to talk to anyone about what happened the other day, you’re going to regret it for the time you have left to live, which by the way, could be a very, very short period of time. Did you hear me?” He said, his breath was against Kurt’s face.

Kurt gulped terrified. Dave’s eyes were menacing and his last words made every bit of his body to shiver. Dave had just threatened to kill him and by the way he was looking at him, Kurt knew he wasn't lying.

“Consider yourself warned.” Dave said, hitting the wall with his fist and walking away, leaving Kurt frozen in place.

After some seconds, Kurt’s brain decided to function again and suddenly he felt dizzy. He grabbed the doorknob for support while his body trembled from head to toe. He felt his whole mind shutting down and the wall starting to spin. He knew he was about to pass out, but fortunately, a warm hand held him and gave him some support.

“Kurt, are you alright?” Tina, his Glee Club friend, asked.

“No.” Kurt whispered, unable to articulate a complete sentence.

“You want me to take you to see the nurse?” She asked, and Kurt just nodded.

 _‘I’m a dead man.’_ He thought.

 o-o-o-o-o

Burt was driving Kurt home. The small streets of Lima Ohio were passing in a blur as they made their way back home under a very awkward silence. Kurt knew he would have to face his dad’s lecture sooner or later so, not wanting to have this unnecessary discussion at home, he spoke up.

“I’m fine, dad. I just forgot to eat before the Glee rehearsal. The choreography was kind of intense and I just lost my breath. The nurse said it was an imbalance, but I’m better now. I promise you that I’ll take better care of myself. I’m sorry you had to come all this way to pick me up.” He said.

“Are you sure that’s what really happened? Because these days you’ve been acting weird, Kurt.”

“Yes, dad, I’m sure. I thought I was fine, but when I was walking to the choir room to pick up my bag, I felt the room spinning and thank God Tina was there because she took me to see the nurse in time.”

“And Finn?” Burt asked.

“He was not there, dad. Coach Beiste scheduled a last minute football practice. I’m sure he’s still on the field…I heard they would be practicing until late. They’re getting ready for next week’s game, I think.”

Burt just frowned. He couldn’t hide how worried he was about his son. “You’re always bothering me with my diet, I guess now I’ll have to do the same with yours.”

Kurt smiled. It was true. Since his dad had suffered that small heart attack he had been keeping a close eye in all the things that concerned his dad’s health. Including a very strict diet that banned any kind of junk food from the house—except from Finn’s room. You could always find some bag of Doritos under his bed.

“Don’t worry, dad, this won’t happen again. I promise.”

“I hope so, kiddo…lately you’ve been acting different. Hell! You look different, you’ve changed. Are you sure you’re fine?”

“Yes, dad…I’m fine.” He said. _‘No, I’m not.’_

“Okay, just know that you can trust me, okay? My heart is strong enough.”

“I know…I love you.” Kurt said, trying with all his heart to keep his emotions at bay. He knew his dad was strong, but he didn’t want to take the risk, so now it was his turn to be strong in front of him, and put on his best poker face.

“I love you too, kiddo.”

o-o-o-o-o

Once Kurt was safely locked inside his room, he allowed himself to cry under the shower. He cried until he felt the fear slipping away from his body, but not from his mind. For some reason Dave’s words kept echoing through his mind and although he didn’t want to think about it, deep down Kurt knew that Karofsky was someone who kept his word.

_“If you dare talk to anyone about what happened the other day, you’re going to regret it for the time you have left to live, which by the way, could be a very, very short period of time. Did you hear me?”_

Kurt shook his head; his mind kept replaying those words over and over again, and his whole body shivered with anticipation. To say that he was terrified was an understatement.

He hopped out of the shower and walked to his bed already wearing his pajamas—a plain white t-shirt and a pair of his favorite sweatpants. Right on top of his nightstand was the notebook that his dad had given him last Friday. He looked at it and grabbed a pen to start writing.

Kurt had never kept a diary before, and quite frankly he had always considered that childish and a bit pointless. He knew it was useless to talk to a piece of paper, but right now he didn’t have anyone else to talk to. It was just him and his notebook. He was afraid and didn’t know what to do, so he thought that maybe writing about his feelings could be his best shot.

“How do I start?” He murmured to himself while the words _‘Dear Diary...’_ came to life through the ink of his pen.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt wrote for several hours until he started to feel sleepy, the clock marked 4:50am. He hated to admit it, but writing all his feelings down had really helped him to feel more relaxed. He smiled slightly and lay down on top of his bed with the notebook still in his hands.

He took some minutes to admire the cover again under the dim light. It was beautiful, all those colors reflecting the odd beauty of that ancient city that could only exist in Kurt’s imagination.

 _‘It certainly looks like Venice,’_ he thought. But this place looked slightly different, more cheerful and magical. The water going through the buildings and the palace at the far end of the picture gave Kurt this sense of fairytale-ness that he couldn't explain.

Laughing at his own imagination, Kurt closed his eyes and let his mind wander about this magic version of Venice. He tried to picture the lagoon and all those domes and spires hovering over the water. The gold ornamentation and the fancy clothes he knew the inhabitants had to wear to blend with that amazing city.

Smiling, he began to dream of a city floating over the water, laced with canals and full of domes and spires. The notebook remained closed above his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since some chapters of the story will take place in some sort of parallel universe there are going to be some words in Italian, but they all sound similar to the words in English so don't worry...you'll be able to understand them. I don't speak Italian so if there's some Italian reader please forgive me if I make a mistake with your language. I can assure you that it was not my intention. I'm using the google translator, and sometimes it's not very accurate.

Light reflected over the King’s youngest son’s satin bed covers while his serving-maid opened up the shutters.

“It’s a beautiful day, Your Highness.” The young woman said, adjusting her apron where the Anderson’s Royal Coat of Arms was carefully embroidered in silver threads.

“It’s always a beautiful day in the lagoon,” the young boy said, barely sitting up and letting the maid to put a coat around his shoulders and hand him a cup of hot chocolate—his favorite morning beverage.

“You don’t look okay, Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?” The woman asked carefully.

“Stop calling me, Your Highness, Agatha, I’m just Blaine. And no, I’m afraid I’m not feeling well.” He said, taking a sip from the delicious hot chocolate.

“You want me to call your mother, Your Highness, I mean, Blaine?”

“Yes, please.” Blaine said, faking a tired voice.

The young woman immediately left the room and Blaine grinned wickedly. Today was a very special day for the Kingdom and he had a plan to set in motion.

Since he was old enough to know what he was doing, he had always dreamed of watching the _Cerimonia di sangue_ or Blood ceremony from afar, as the rest of the villagers. Unfortunately, and thanks to his social status, that dream had sounded impossible...until now. Today Blaine was determined to make it come true.

The _Cerimonia di sangue_ was the most important Royal tradition in all Bellezza and probably the entire Kingdom. It dated back to the time of the third Anderson's monarchy. During the second flood, King Rupert Anderson, Blaine’s great, great, great, great, grandfather, in an attempt to stop the city from disappearing under the water, had made a pact with the sea, offering his blood to save his city and its people. Since that day, it was—still was—believed that in order to prevent a fatal flood, every ruler ever to wear the Royal crown ought to offer a drop of his blood to the sea each year in exchange for a year of peace and prosperity.

The ceremony was short and Blaine thought it was very silly. After all these years he still didn’t understand what was the whole commotion about it, for him it was pointless and just proved how superstitious the _lagooners_ were. But what he really enjoyed were the festivities that came afterwards—the fireworks, the food and especially, the parade that took place in the second day.

Each year the town was transformed into a canvas of colors and masks. People all over the Kingdom and the other islands came to Bellezza to admire the _sacrifici_ or sacrifice, and have a very good time. The _sacrifici_ was just how the islanders or _lagooners_ called the blood offering that the King made as a way to start with the festivities. There were dances, music, fireworks, food and wine. Lots and lots of wine.

And this year Blaine was planning on attending as a peasant, and not as the Prince of the city.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine started to cough the moment he saw the door of his chambers opening again. His mother, Pamela Anderson, Queen of the Kingdom and ruler of Bellezza the capital city, showed herself in and walked to the bed to check on her youngest son.

“Blaine, your serving-maid informed me that you are not feeling well. Is everything alright, sweetheart?” She asked worriedly, and resting a hand on her son’s forehead to make sure he had no fever.

“No, mother.” Blaine replied, fake-coughing again. “I don’t feel fine. I think I have a cold. Could you send someone to get the _dottore,_ please? I'd really hate to miss the ceremony tonight.” He said, using his fake sad eyes to emphasize how sorry he felt about the possibility of missing the _oh-so_ sacred Royal ceremony.

“You can’t miss the ceremony! You are the Prince! Your duty is to be next to your father and brother when the _sacrifici_ takes place.” Pamela said determined.

“I know mother, and you know how much I love to be there fulfilling my duties as a Prince.” He lied. “But I don’t feel well, call the _dottore,_ please. There’s no time to waste.”

Pamela nodded. “I’ll tell Raymond to bring the _dottore_ immediately! Don’t worry sweetheart, you’ll be okay!” She said, and walked out the room in a hurry.

Blaine waited until the door was completely closed to burst out laughing. So far his plan to miss the ceremony was working, and if things went well, at night, he would be able to enjoy with his best friends the _Cerimonia di sangue_ and probably understand what it really meant for the people of the Kingdom.

o-o-o-o-o

Half an hour later the doors of his room opened again and Pamela, Raymond and a tiny old man walked into the room. Blaine smiled slightly and faked a coughing fit when the _dottore_ started to place his instrumentation near the nightstand.

“Your Majesty informed me that you are feeling unwell, Your Highness.” The old man said. He was wearing some white robe above his elegant clothes.

Blaine coughed again and nodded. “Yes, I’m not feeling okay. I think I caught a cold or something.” He informed the doctor.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness, let me examine you and see what’s wrong with you.”

“Thank you.” Blaine said.

The doctor started to prepare his instrumentation and Blaine glanced toward his mother and Raymond. Pamela was looking intently at the doctor, it was clear that she was worried. While Raymond was standing there just fulfilling his role as the Royal advisor—aka the problem solver of the Kingdom.

“Your Majesty.” The doctor said, looking at Pamela. “Could you give us some minutes of privacy? I’ll ask Your Highness to undress and-” the doctor trailed off.

“Say no more, I understand.” The Queen said, walking toward the door. “Let me know when I can come back. Raymond keep an eye on him for me, okay?”

“I will, Your Majesty.” Raymond replied, while the Queen left the room.

Once the door was completely closed Blaine exhaled relieved. The three men looked at each other and started to laugh quietly. The plan was working. It was crazy and Blaine was still doubtful about his mother’s reaction to it, but so far it was working.

“Thank you, Ray!” Blaine said, quietly.

“You’re welcome, kid. You are lucky you’re my favorite!” Raymond said, winking at Blaine and making sure nobody else could listen a word but them.

Blaine smiled warmly at his old friend. Raymond Armati besides being the Royal advisor was a man of science, and Blaine’s only friend within the walls of the palace. Since he was a small kid, Blaine enjoyed spending time in Ray’s chambers just watching how the man worked in all his science projects. With the years, Blaine learned a lot about the man and started to consider him a friend. Ray taught him all about life outside the palace and science, and for Blaine, Ray was the most interesting man he had ever had the chance to meet.

“Now what?” The doctor, who happened to be a close friend of the Royal advisor, asked.

“You give us some instructions and tell the Queen that Your Highness cannot be at the ceremony today, but that he’ll be able to assist to the parade tomorrow.” Raymond instructed the old man.

“Okay.” The man agreed.

The three men waited for a couple of minutes until they considered it was appropriate for the Queen to enter the room again. The doctor, using his professional demeanor, informed the Queen about Blaine’s health while the naughty boy faked coughing fits to emphasize how sick he really was.

“So, are you telling me that my son can’t be at the _sacrifici_ tonight?” The Queen asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty, that’s what I’m saying. I’m going to give Your Highness some tonics to help him sleep so he can be ready for the parade tomorrow, but he will have to miss the ceremony and I’m afraid that the following Royal Ball as well.” The doctor informed her.

Pamela Anderson frowned, looking more worried than upset. She hated that her son had to miss the ceremony because he had duties to fulfill as a Prince, but before being a Queen she was a mother. So she was genuinely worried about the well being of her youngest son.

“But, is he going to be fine?” She asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty, he will be just fine. He just needs some rest and he’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

Ray noticed the worried expression on Pamela’s face and offered himself to take care of the boy. “Your Majesty, if you wish I could stay with Your Highness all day. You know I just need to be at the ceremony for the fireworks, and then when the Ball starts I can come here every now and then and check on him, if you want.”

“Really?” Pamela asked relieved. She knew she couldn’t be checking on her son as much as she’d like. Tonight she had very important duties as a Queen, and unfortunately, Blaine had chosen a very bad day to get sick.

“Yes, if that’s okay with you of course.” He said, giving the Queen a warm smile.

“You know there’s no one else to whom I could entrust the welfare of my children if not you Raymond. You are our most valued employee and we consider you part of the family.” She said, giving him a friendly smile, but not losing her Queen’s demeanor.

“I consider that an honor, Your Majesty. And do not worry about Your Highness, I’ll make sure he’s okay.” He said, giving Blaine a knowingly look. After all he was telling the truth, he would make sure that Blaine was okay and happy.

Blaine put his lips in a hard line trying not to laugh, and covered his face with the bed covers to fake a new coughing fit. Pamela walked near the bed and sat down next to her son.

“Don’t worry about the ceremony, okay?” She said, tenderly caressing her son’s face. “I know how much you enjoy it, especially the fireworks. Since you were just a baby, your eyes always lit up whenever those lights touched the sky. It’s a shame you’re going to miss them.” She said.

“Don’t worry mother, it’s not the first time I miss them. Do you remember six years ago when Cooper made me go to get his vest because he said he had a surprise for me? Well, that day I missed the whole set and I survived. I think another year without watching the amazing display of lights Raymond prepared for the occasion is not going to kill me. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” He said, trying to reassure his mother.

“Maybe you could watch them from your balcony.” She suggested.

“I don’t think so, mother, you heard what the _dottore_ said. That tonic is going to make me sleep for hours so I won’t be up until tomorrow.” Blaine said, faking a sad expression. If he wanted his plan to work, he needed to convince his mother that we would be sound asleep until the next day.

“Okay, then I’ll place a couple of guards outside your door so if you need anything you can just tell them, okay?”

“There’s no need, mother!” Blaine said, slightly panicked. “I mean, let them enjoy the festivities with the rest of the people, mother. I’ll be asleep, and besides, Raymond will be with me the whole time, there’s no need to make more people miss the ceremony.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Raymond reassured her. “I’ll be here with him the whole time and when my duties start later at night, I’ll be coming and checking on him every half an hour. There’s no need to worry.” He said.

“Okay.” She said, leaning over and kissing her son’s temple. “I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart. I hope you feel better, and just know that we are going to miss you at the Ball. Especially the young men and ladies who were already in line to have a dance with you. You do remember that your father wanted you to meet someone, don't you? The man we've been talking about?”

“Mother…”

“I know, I know...you don’t want us to set you up with anyone.”

“No, I don’t.” Blaine said, trying not to roll his eyes at his mother. After all she was the Queen, although sometimes he wished she was just his mother.

"Okay, fine." Pamela said, smiling and standing up from her son’s bed. “Take care of my baby boy.” She said, looking at Raymond, who just nodded and smiled at her reassuringly.

o-o-o-o-o

A dim light coming from the torch on the wall barely illuminated the path, but Blaine didn’t need to see where he was going, he knew those halls like his own soul. When he had turned twelve, Ray had shared with him some of the special secrets that the palace hold, including the secret passageways that connected all the rooms and the more than one secret door that allowed you to leave the palace unnoticed. Since then, Blaine had been using every single one of them to sneak into town and have a normal life—or what he could call a normal life.

It was not a secret to some people in town that Blaine hated some of the Royal charade. Being a Prince had his advantages, but Blaine sometimes felt trapped and very lonely. He preferred the adventure and the carefree life he had outside the palace rather than the good manners-etiquette and polite demeanor he had to portray every single day. That was why Ray had shared all those secrets with him. He had told Blaine that all he wanted was for him to find his own happiness and live his life as he wanted.

So there he was, following the old man’s advice and doing for the first time what he had always wanted to do. Risking a lot of things if they caught him, but knowing that it sure was worth the risk.

“Blaine is that you?” A voice asked through the tunnels.

“Yes, Jeff, it’s me. Is Trent with you yet?” Blaine asked back.

“Yes! Hurry up! The _Barcone_ is already sailing!”

“Okay, I’ll be there in a second.” He said, walking faster to get to his friends, who were already waiting for him at the secret exit near the East Coast.

Blaine had met Jeff and Trent on his very first expedition outside the palace almost five years ago, and since then, they had been friends. Jeff Sterling was the only son of the Merchant and Trent Nixon was the youngest son of the Baker. Both boys were Blaine’s partners in crime and what he liked to call, his extended family. No one in the palace, but Ray knew that he was friends with any of them since there was no way to explain how the Prince of the city had met the sons of the Merchant and the Baker without revealing that he had been in town more times that he could remember. However, thanks to Blaine's secret ninja's skills, the two boys had been inside the palace enough times already to practically know all the secret passageways, rooms and amazing places that the Anderson's residence had to offer.

“I thought you wouldn't come!” Trent exclaimed, as soon as the boys were together.

“And miss the chance to finally enjoy the festivities with you two? Not at all! I just had to make sure that the pillows under my covers looked like me.” He said, giggling.

“Then, let’s go! We have like half an hour to get ready, right?” Jeff asked, looking at Blaine for confirmation.

Blaine quickly looked at the sea coast. The _Barcone_ was already sailing, but if his calculations were correct the _Cerimonia di sangue_ would take place in about an hour—just when the sun started to touch the water.

“Yes, maybe a little bit more. But let’s go! There’s no time to waste!” Blaine exclaimed excitedly.

o-o-o-o-o

When the boys arrived to the Nixon’s Bakery, Mr. David Nixon, Trent’s father, was already waiting for them with a small endowment of his famous blueberry muffins and a cup of hot chocolate that his wife had prepared for the boys.

“Blaine!” Mr. Nixon said, immediately hugging the boy. “I’m glad to see you again! When Trent told me what you were planning on doing I thought you would get in trouble, but I’m glad you're okay and here with us!” The old man said, genuinely happy. “Certainly, you’re one of a kind, kid.”

“Hello, Mr. Nixon! I’m so happy to be here too, and to be quite honest, for a moment I thought I wasn’t going to make it, but I was very lucky and some friends in the palace helped me to sneak out. And here I am! Ready for the _sacrifici!”_ He said, clapping excitedly. “I wasn’t willing to spend another year watching the fireworks behind my brother’s back and dancing around in that silly and boring Ball while the rest of you have the time of your lives. This time Blaine is going to be one of you!” He said, and his voice was clearly reflecting his excitement.

The four men laughed and after devouring the irresistible muffins, they started to get ready for the ceremony.

According to the tradition all the inhabitants of the Kingdom, visitors and lagooners of the surrounding islands, had to wear a mask and a kerchief around their left arm representing one of the four elements that divided the Kingdom's sectors—red for fire, blue for water, green for earth and white for air. All the sectors were assigned according to the constellation under which each person was born, and then used to give status to the inhabitants. Since Blaine was royalty, he had the higher status and therefore didn't have to wear the colors of any of the sectors, but since his presence in town couldn't be revealed, he would have to choose between green, Trent’s sector, or blue, Jeff’s sector.

“So, what is it going to be?” Jeff asked, raising both a green and blue kerchiefs.

“Hmmm, I don’t care just put me the kerchief, Jeff!” He said.

“Then blue it's going to be!” Jeff stated, lacing the small piece of textile around Blaine’s left arm. "It's more your color and besides, if you weren't royalty this wouldn't be your sector anyway, you were born under the Water-Carrier, so you should be wearing white."

"I don't care about that, Jeff."

"I know." The blond boy said, smiling.

“Now, put on the blue mask and you’ll be ready to be one of us.” Trent said, adjusting his own green mask and lacing his emerald kerchief. “Nobody will recognize you! Tonight you’ll be another _lagooner_ enjoying the _sacrifici!_ ”

Blaine put on his mask and looked at himself in the mirror. He liked what he saw, a normal 17 year old boy ready to have some fun with his best friends at the _Cerimonia di sangue_ —the most important ceremony of the year for the city.

“Ready boys?” Mr. Nixon asked, emerging from one of the rooms, wearing his own matching red mask and kerchief.

“Ready!” They all yelled at the same time. Excitement was bursting out of them all.

o-o-o-o-o

The group squealed in wonder when they arrived to _The Piazza Maddalena_ , which was located in front of the great cathedral. The whole town was filled with stalls selling food, wine and banners of the different sectors. The tasty smells made Blaine’s mouth to water. Every imaginable shape of pasta was on sale with sauces spiced with peppers and sweetened with onions. Roasted meats and grilled vegetables, olives, cheeses, bright red radishes and dark green bitter salads all were in display. Shining fish doused with oil and lemon, pink prawns and crabs and mounds of saffron rice and juicy wild mushrooms. Soups and stews simmered in huge cauldrons and terracotta bowls were filled with potatoes roasted in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and spikes of rosemary.

“Look at all that food!” Trent exclaimed, rubbing his belly with anticipation.

“I’m so ready for this!” Blaine clapped excitedly, and already savoring all the food he would devour in a minute.

“Then, what are you waiting for boys?” Mr. Nixon exclaimed. “Go ahead and have fun! I’ll be at the pier with Jeff’s father if you guys need us, but go and have fun!” He said. “And take care of each other, okay?”

“Thanks!” The three boys exclaimed, quickly getting lost in the crowd. Their first stop, the winery.

o-o-o-o-o

After buying enough food and wine to enjoy the ceremony, Blaine, Jeff and Trent climbed into the roof of the Merchant’s shop to have a better view of the whole _sacrifici_. The _Barcone_ was already anchored in the middle of the lagoon and the Royal family was waiting for the right moment to start the ceremony.

Blaine could see his whole family wearing their respective silver masks and kerchiefs—the distinctive color of royalty. His brother, Cooper Anderson, was wearing his most elegant clothes and was leaning over the railing playing with some ropes, while his parents were standing a few feet behind him just waiting for their cue to start.

“Isn’t it weird to be here with us instead of there with your family?” Trent asked.

“A little.” Blaine confessed. “Although this is exciting, I had always wanted to see this whole ceremony from the other side. To be honest, I’ve never consider it something that important, but apparently for the people this is a big deal.” He said, watching as all the people—his friends included—looked at the _Barcone_ with wonder and awe. Like if it was some kind of relic from another world.

“Are you kidding?” Jeff snapped, almost choking with the wine. “You do know that if the King didn’t make the _sacrifici_ he would be dooming the city to spend a year of poorness, don’t you? And let’s not talk about the risk of a fatal flood!” He said, making the lagoon's sign of the good fortune, which consisted in placing two fingers in the forehead and taping them twice before lowering them to the mouth to kiss them as a sign of good omen.

“Those are just legends, Jeff.” Blaine said.

“No, they are not and you know it!” Trent interfered. “Thanks to the sacrifice that your family has been doing for generations this city has been spared from many misfortunes. And whether you like it or not, one day my friend, you’ll be cutting your hand and dropping some of that Royal blood of yours into the water to save us all.” He said, giving Blaine a pat on the back.

Blaine laughed. “I’m afraid my brother is the next in line, but maybe someday.” He said. _'Maybe someday.'_

o-o-o-o-o

The sun started to set on the horizon and with the sound of some fanfares coming from all the small _gondoles_ flanking the Royal vessel, Richard Anderson the King of the Kingdom and ruler of Bellezza, walked to the edge of the deck and lifted a silver knife. The same silver knife that had once belonged to Rupert Anderson—the King of the third Anderson's monarchy—and that had been used by every single King since then to perform the ceremony.

“It’s time!” Jeff squealed excitedly.

Blaine nodded and looked around. All the people around the _Piazza_ were practically holding their breaths as they waited for the King to start the ceremony. Without noticing it, Blaine found himself holding his breath too, and looking at his father, the King, like any other villager—with awe and anticipation.

The King made a small bow to the sea and with one last ceremonial movement, he drew the knife across his left hand and let some drops of his blood to fall into the sea. People burst into cheers of joyful celebration while exclamations of _‘Long live the King!’_ echoed through the entire plaza.

“Long live the King!” Blaine exclaimed, as excited as his friends were. He was clearly infected by the enthusiasm of the people.

On the deck of the _Barcone_ , the King stood firm in his black velvet suit with a red cloak over his shoulders. The setting sun glinted off in all the masks, and in the blink of an eye, it descended until it touched the water. All kinds of yellows, oranges and reds mixed together giving the blue water a new touch of red. The ceremony was officially over. Now the water was the color of the Royal blood, the King was one with the sea. The prosperity and safety of the city and the Kingdom had been assured for another year.

A single tear rolled down Blaine’s face as he allowed himself to breathe again, and although it got lost behind his mask, Trent, who was looking at him, noticed it.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” He said.

“Yes…” Blaine whispered.

This was the first time that he truly understood the meaning and value of the ceremony that until now, he had considered meaningless. Maybe it was just a legend or maybe it was not, but what Blaine now knew was that some things in life didn't have to be real to be considered true.

“How much time do we have until the fireworks start?” Jeff asked, looking around. People were already leaving the piers and starting to walk to the square to start with the real celebration.

“Forty minutes.” Blaine informed. He knew the protocols by heart.

The _Barcone_ would sail again and arrive at the North dock of the palace where important guests and the rest of the Royal family, cousins and other relatives, would be waiting. Then, after some greetings and formal introductions, the family and the rest of the group would walk to the Grand Salon where his father—the King—would make the first toast to later invite all the guests to the upper bailey terrace to admire the fireworks display, which would start as soon as the sun was completely hidden beneath the horizon.

“Then let’s go get some more wine and food!” Jeff suggested. “I’m starving!”

"Again!?" Trent asked. They had just eaten a whole bowl of roasted meat with fried vegetables.

"What? I'm in my last growth spurt, I need to eat."

Trent and Blaine laughed, but nodded. They were hungry too, so with some help from each other, they climbed down from the roof and got lost in the crowd, mingling with the rest of the villagers as they all danced around the _Piazza_ enjoying and celebrating the successful _sacrifici._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter the story will start to make some sense, I promise. I know there's a lot of info to learn and words in another language and generally...a lot of weird stuff, but have a little faith in me. I think I manage to explain all the details in the upcoming chapters. This is the longest fic I've ever written so let's see how it goes.

Kurt opened his eyes, feeling the sun on his face. His first thought was that he had fallen asleep and now it was dawning, but when he came to more fully, he saw that he was inside some impressive place that was definitely not his room—where he last remembered being trying to sleep.

He immediately felt dizzy and confused.

"I must still be dreaming," he muttered to himself, but deep down he didn't mind. If this was a dream, it was a beautiful dream.

For some strange reason he was lying inside a very strange, but oddly familiar beautiful cathedral, in some version of that floating city he was daydreaming about.

He stood up and looked through one of the windows, and noticed that the sun was setting on the horizon. He rubbed his arms to gain some warmth although when he thought about it, it was still very warm to be this late in the afternoon. The beautiful notebook he was admiring before falling asleep was still in his hands, so not knowing what else to do; he put it safely inside one of his sweatpants' pocket.

Hesitantly, Kurt walked a little more; he felt weird in this dream, light as a feather and strong as a horse. He was in a colonnade of cold white marble, but between the columns, where the last rays of the sun splashed in, were warm pools of light that felt as comforting as a hot bath when he passed through them.

“Wow!” Kurt breathed out. This time his imagination had gone too far. He raised his arm and pinched himself trying to wake up, but nothing happened.

"Odd." He muttered, as he reached for the door.

He stepped out into the square and his eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t recognize his surroundings, but the place looked exactly like the old version of Venice that was printed in his notebook. The people walking and dancing around were wearing old clothes that made Kurt remember those historical documentaries that Carole loved to watch where the ladies wore pretty long dresses with thousands of layers, and the men wore fancy suits with long socks or boots and swords on their belts.

A huge horse-drawn carriage passed next to him and Kurt jumped back a little startled. It was hard to take everything that was happening. Smiling, he turned the other way and looked out over the water, where gondolas were floating between the canals; this was the most beautiful place he had ever been in. But even more beautiful was that feeling of safety he felt by the simple fact of being there. Something he had long forgotten how it felt like.

"This time you really lost it, Kurt." He told to himself, thinking about how his mind had managed to create this almost-real safe haven just so he could escape from his awful reality.

o-o-o-o-o

People around Kurt were dancing in circles and he couldn’t help but notice that there were boys dancing with boys and girls with girls, and nobody seemed to care. Distracted by that, he took a step back and a moment later, his dream changed completely. Someone came up on him from behind and spilled some wine on his shirt. Kurt looked up and found a young boy about his own age with black curly hair and beautiful and sparkling hazel eyes hidden under a dark blue mask.

"I'm so sorry...I didn't-" The strange boy stuttered.

Kurt looked at him in astonishment. He knew that his shirt was probably ruined and if this wasn't a dream, he'd probably be upset about it, but since he knew this couldn't be real, he opted for better admire this stranger's handsomeness.

Kurt could feel the wine quickly slipping through his body, but he couldn't care less. The stranger’s honey eyes had hypnotized him.

"I-I..." The boy stuttered again. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you standing there. I was dancing and-and...are you okay?" The boy asked.

Kurt's brain functioned again and he nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry, people have thrown worst things at me, some wine is actually nothing." He said, smiling friendly at the handsome boy, and not paying attention to his ruined shirt.

"Blaine." The boy said, extending his hand and introducing himself.

Kurt took Blaine's hand and a warm current went through his body as he whispered his own name. "Kurt."

Blaine smiled broadly and they remained there, just looking at each other and still holding hands for what felt like hours, but were really just a couple of seconds.

"I...hmmm, why aren't you wearing a mask?" Blaine asked intrigued. Not that he was complaining, he was actually grateful for the lack of mask in this boy’s face, since he could admire his gorgeousness, but everybody was wearing one and he really didn't know what else to say to keep the conversation going.

"Hmmmm, because I didn't know I had to wear one? I'm not from here." Kurt explained.

“No?” Blaine asked intrigued. “Where are you from, then?”

“Lima.” Kurt said.

“Lima? Where’s that? In _Anglia_?” Blaine asked confused.

“No, in America.” Kurt said.

“You mean _Amerighi_.”

“Yeah…” Kurt said, deciding it was better to play along and see how far his imagination could take him.

“Awesome!" Blaine exclaimed, pretty excited. "But you can’t be around the city not wearing a mask in the _sacrifici_. Come! Let me help you!” Blaine said, grabbing Kurt’s hand and taking him by surprise. “My friends have extra masks and kerchiefs.” He said, dragging Kurt with him and pulling him into the crowd.

Kurt blinked a couple of times, but followed the boy anyway. If this was a dream, he was planning on enjoying every bit of it.

o-o-o-o-o

The crowd in the square was getting merry with wine and food when Kurt and Blaine made it to where Trent and Jeff were dancing with a couple of girls wearing blue and white masks.

“Blaine!” Trent exclaimed, patting his friend’s back a little bit too hard.

“Ouch! Easy Trent, remember that I’m made of glass.” Blaine said jokingly. Trent was a big boy, taller and way more stronger than Blaine. Carrying those sacks of flour at his father's bakery had its advantages.

Jeff and Trent laughed, but they stopped when they noticed the strange boy with the bright blue eyes.

Blaine followed their gazes and immediately made the proper introductions. “Sorry, my friends, hmmm...this is Kurt. Kurt, these are my friends, Jeff and Trent...as you can see guys, Kurt’s not from here. He came from _Amerighi_.” He said, as a matter of explanation.

“ _Amerighi?”_ Both Jeff and Trent exclaimed in awe at the same time as they made the lagoon’s good fortune sign.

“Yes!” Blaine replied excitedly.

Kurt just looked at the three men in shock. Everything looked so real and so surreal at the same time that he was surprised with the reach of his own imagination.

“Well, that explains the clothing.” Jeff said, taking a quick look at Kurt’s attire.

“Exactly! It’s too obvious that he’s not from here and we need to help him blend in." Blaine said. "Could you lend him some clothes?" He asked to his friends.

"Sure!" Jeff said, analyzing Kurt's complexion. They were almost the same size, he guessed. "Let's make a quick detour to my house and then we can go watch the fireworks! You arrived just in time, Kurt!" He said, grabbing Kurt’s arm and dragging him with him.

Kurt blinked again, confused by the familiarity of these strangers, but a smile escaped from his lips. He was genuinely happy for the first time in a very long time.

“If you excuse us, ladies.” Trent said, making a small reverence and smiling at the two girls with whom they were previously dancing, and who immediately disappeared and started to dance with someone else.

o-o-o-o-o

After being dressed as a Bellezzan and accessorized accordingly to the festivity with a green mask and matching kerchief (the only accessories available at the moment); Kurt, Blaine, Jeff and Trent made their way back to the _piazza_. Kurt was stunned. The boys had previously explained him the whole ceremony and the traditions, but witnessing the whole festivity was an experience on itself.

The Bellezzans and islanders clearly knew how to enjoy themselves. Now they were dancing in ragged circles, arms linked, singing the bawdy songs that traditionally accompanied the ceremony, and Kurt couldn't help but clap along and dance around when Blaine and Trent had dragged him into the crowd.

"Are you having fun?" Blaine, who hadn't left Kurt alone for a minute, asked him.

"Yes!" Kurt replied sincerely. It was true; this was the first time he was genuinely smiling since his mother had died all those years ago.

"Good!" Blaine exclaimed. "The best is yet to come. The fireworks are about to start and I heard that this year they're going to be unbelievable."

"Really?" Kurt asked excited.

Blaine nodded. "Yes, maybe we should go ahead to save our places.” He said, smiling at Kurt and then looking at his friends. “Boys! Let’s go to the roof!”

Jeff and Trent nodded and Blaine grabbed Kurt’s hand one more time, before walking away toward the Merchant’s store.

o-o-o-o-o

The climax of the evening was coming. Raymond’s _gondole_ had been spotted floating in the mouth of the Great Canal all loaded with crates and boxes. Everyone was expecting something special for the fireworks display like every year.

Kurt, Blaine, Jeff and Trent were all seated at the roof of Jeff’s father’s store just waiting for the lights to finally touch the sky.

“...and that’s Signor’s Armati _gondole_.” Blaine was explaining to Kurt. “He’s the Royal advisor, and a man of science. Every year, he’s in charge of covering the sky with his beautiful fireworks. They are amazing! You’ll see it for yourself in just a minute! They are like nothing you’ve ever seen before!” He said.

“You sound very excited about them.” Kurt said.

“They are my favorite part of the night.” Blaine confessed.

“Really?”

“Yes, my mother says that since I was a baby I always lit up when the lights touched the sky. I don’t know if it’s true, but I do love them.”

Kurt smiled warmly; the picture of a baby boy with messy dark curls and beautiful honey eyes flashed through his mind. “And…what happens after the fireworks?” He asked, trying to distract himself from those thoughts.

“We celebrate until dawn and then we go to the Royal parade with our families in the morning.”

“A parade?” Kurt asked intrigued.

“Yes, the Royal family travels around the city on their _gondoles_ while the villagers walk along with them throwing petals to the canals in gratitude for the _sacrifici_.”

“That’s sounds amazing, you people do certainly know how to have fun.”

“Yes, I guess...though clearly some more than others.” Blaine said, looking at his friends who were now competing against each other to see who could drink the whole wine-skin in one gulp.

Kurt followed his gaze and laughed joyfully. Trent’s clothes were all covered in wine and Jeff was burping loudly. It was disgusting but funny at the same time.

For a second Blaine froze and just contemplated the boy with the blue eyes as if he had hung the moon and stars in the sky. This boy's laughter was like a melody from the angels, Blaine thought. He had never heard a more beautiful sound in the world.

“What?” Kurt asked, noticing the way Blaine was looking at him.

“Nothing. Hmmm, I-I…” He was saying when Trent interrupted.

“Look! It’s about to start!”

The four boys turned around and looked into the distance. The Royal family and their guests were now in the upper bailey terrace of the palace, waiting for the first explosion to illuminate the sky with all kinds of colors.

o-o-o-o-o

The display began with the usual shower of shooting stars, rockets, Reman candles and Catherine wheels. The masked faces of the Bellezzans in the square and piers turned green and red and blue and gold with the reflected light from the display in the sky over the water. All eyes were now turned away from the palace and from the silver-masked figures watching at the terrace.

After a pause, the dark blue sky began to brighten with the fire-pictures of Raymond’s set pieces. First a giant brazen phoenix flaunting the sky, then a blue and green wave of the sea, out of which grew a glittering sea serpent. Then a winged horse flying above them and seeming to sweep down into the water of the canal where it disappeared. Finally, a silver bull that seemed to emerge from the sea grew massively large above the watchers before it dissolved into a thousand stars. The four symbols of the sectors had been represented—the phoenix for the fire sector, the sea serpent for the water, the winged horse for the air and finally, the bull for the earth sector.

The people burst into applause and Kurt turned around surprised. Blaine was holding his hand again and pulling him out of the roof.

Still a little dizzy from the amazing display, Kurt smiled and followed Blaine just when Jeff and Trent were talking.

“Raymond has excelled himself this year, hasn’t he?” Jeff said to Trent, who was also clapping. 

"Yes, he has."

“What do you think, Blaine, Kurt?” Jeff asked, but when he turned to look at them, the boys had already left.

 o-o-o-o-o

Blaine led Kurt through a passage under a big fountain and then along a maze of narrow streets, up and down little bridges, across narrow waterways and through small deserted squares.

“Why there’s no one in here?” Kurt asked confused, and looking around the empty plaza.

“Because the festivity takes place at the Piazza Maddalena in front of the piers.”

“Oh.” Kurt said, embracing his surroundings.

Blaine kept walking and Kurt followed him, silently enjoying walking without having to worry about his safety, or anything else for that matter. This city gave him a sense of security that he couldn't explain, but that thought made him feel happier than he could remember being in a very long time.

 o-o-o-o-o

They came to a square with a small closed-up theater in it, where some already drunk villagers were dancing and fooling around.

“Long live the King!” One of the men shouted.

“Long live the King!” Blaine yelled back, flashing his white-toothed smile.

Kurt found himself holding his breath at that sight. This man was like a dream come true.

“Come on, let’s go this way...I know a shortcut.” Blaine said, as they kept walking through the streets.

He was leading him away from the square and to a quiet backwater of the city. The houses were washed in different colors, sand and ocher, and little gardens sprouted from some of the roofs or from the terraces halfway up. Although it was dark, Kurt could sometimes glimpse between houses some bell-towers with lights wheeling around them. Little canals crossed their path so often that they had to zigzag and use the bridges; there was no walking in a straight line.

“It’s very beautiful, your city.” Kurt said at last.

“It’s not my city!” Blaine said, sounding a little defensive.

“Don’t you live here?” Kurt asked confused. All this time he thought he was speaking with a lagooner.

“Oh, that...sorry, yes I live here. And the city is beautiful, that’s why it is so rich,” Blaine, said matter of factly. “Beauty is cash—that’s one of the Bellezzans’ mottos — _Belleza è moneta._ ”

Kurt nodded in understanding although his mind was completely confused. Nothing made any sense. Everything around him was strange—the people, the language they were speaking, which he was pretty sure was Italian and yet he understood it completely. The charming and handsome boy walking in front of him, who also seemed to be Italian, and yet could understand him. Jeff and Trent...everything was bizarre.

“Are you okay?” Blaine asked, taking him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, better than ever!” Kurt confessed.

“Good, because we still have to walk for a little more.”

“Where are we going?” Kurt asked intrigued.

“It’s a surprise!” Blaine said, giving Kurt his crooked smile.

They walked across another small canal, through a passageway, and arrived on the pavement alongside a much broader canal that led to the sea.

"We're almost there." Blaine said, lacing his fingers with Kurt's and squeezing his hand tightly. Kurt blushed a little, but kept walking.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt and Blaine were now walking down the shore that led to the palace, their hands were barely brushing with every step they took as they enjoyed the stroll away from the roaring sound of the festivities. They had removed their masks and they were just walking while Blaine shared more information about the city with Kurt.

“So let me see if I understood everything. Bellezza is the largest island in the lagoon, followed by Torrone, Merlino and Burlesca. But there are at least 100 or more small islands in the whole archipelago?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” Kurt breathed out.

“I know, we’re still exploring some of them.” Blaine said, smiling and remembering the maps that Ray had in his chambers and where they usually draw the new islands that the explorers discovered on their trips. “And, when did you arrive to the city?” Blaine asked out of curiosity. He was intrigued about this boy.

“Hmmm, today.” Kurt said, not knowing what else to say. This dream became weirder and weirder with each passing minute.

“But how? Ports are closed to navigation on the _sacrifici_.” Blaine frowned confused.

“I-I didn’t arrive using the ports.” Kurt said.

“Oh, then you arrived using a carriage. I see..." Blaine assumed. "And if you arrived today, then you must have spent some days in Padavia, right? It’s a beautiful city too.”

“Yeah…beautiful.” Kurt played along, not knowing where Padavia was or if it was beautiful or not.

“Did you visit all Talia?”

“Talia?” Kurt asked confused.

“Yeah, did you visit all the Kingdoms? Or just some cities in here?”

“Hmmm, just Padavia and here of course.” He lied.

“You should visit Remora, it’s the best city we have in the Kingdom, after Bellezza of course. The other Kingdoms are not bad, but this one has the most beautiful cities.” Blaine said.

“Maybe later.” Kurt replied. Perhaps if he wished it hard enough he could actually visit all those cities and Kingdoms Blaine was talking about. After all this was his dream.

“But, I’m glad you’re here though.”

“I’m glad to be here too.” Kurt confessed.

Blaine smiled broadly and just kept walking. Waves crashed against the shore, as they got closer to the palace. The stone walls were getting bigger and bigger with every step they took, and Kurt couldn’t help but gasp surprised at the view displayed in front of him.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Blaine said, following his gaze.

Kurt just nodded. The palace looked like one of those fantasy castles from a Disney movie, with all those impressive towers and large windows framing the balconies and galleries where Kurt knew the Royal Balls used to take place.

“Why are we here?” Kurt asked, focusing his attention back to Blaine.

“I thought that maybe you’d like to watch a Ball.” Blaine said, pointing to the East wing of the palace where the large windows allowed them to watch the Royal Ball that was taking place on the inside.

“Oh my God!” Kurt squealed.

It was like watching a real fantasy movie; couples were dancing around the huge gallery swirling gracefully with the music. Their pretty dresses and elegant suits were gleaming with the soft lights of the candles.

“May I?” Blaine said, extending his hand to Kurt.

Kurt blinked confused. _‘He wants to dance?’_ He questioned himself and voiced his thoughts. “Do you want to dance?”

“You don’t?”

“Hmmm, well I'd love to, but I don’t know how to dance like that,” he said, looking at the formal dancing the couples inside the palace were doing. “...and besides there’s no music.”

Blaine smiled, made a small reverence and grabbed Kurt’s hands, placing them in position. One behind his own back and the other one clasped tightly against Blaine’s right hand.

“Now, we just swing.” He said.

“And the music?” Kurt asked, his cheeks were turning red.

“I can always hum along.” Blaine whispered as he started to move. And _oh-boy_ , this boy knew what he was doing and Kurt had never been more certain that this could only be a dream—a beautiful one, but still just a dream.

o-o-o-o-o

They danced for what felt like hours until they eventually got tired and sat on the sand to contemplate the stars. Lying on their backs, one next to the other, they kept talking about the city while Kurt asked as many questions as he could. His curious nature was taking over him.

“So, let's see. Bellezza besides being the largest island of the lagoon is the largest city in the Anderson’s Kingdom, which has a lot of other cities and they all are also part of Talia, which is the whole land and, which has three more Kingdoms?” Kurt asked seriously confused. It was a lot of information for him.

“Yes, the Anderson's Kingdom has twelve cities, Bellezza being its largest. Each city has its own ruler, but they all are under the law and power of the King, who rules from here. This Kingdom is the most important one in the land of Talia—the other three are not that big.”

“Okay, and you said that all the Kingdoms in Talia are divided in four sectors each, represented by four elements, but why do you need sectors in the first place?”

“To keep the balance in the stars,” Blaine explained, “each person must represent the sector of the stars under which they were born. There are twelve major constellations in the sky, three in each sector, Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. When you are born there’s a constellation dominating the sky and that constellation will mark the way you behave forever and you must honor that, but the way you honor your city and therefore your Kingdom can only be measure in the way you represent your element. All the constellations must be well represented to keep the balance and prevent uprisings...got it?”

“Hmmm, yeah I think so..." Kurt said, although he hadn't understood a word Blaine had said. "So...these twelve constellations, are they like the horoscopes?” Kurt asked, trying to find something that wasn’t as strange for him.

“The what? Is that an _Amerighi_ thing?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Kurt trailed off. “In my world, I mean in my land, when you’re born you are also assigned to some hmmm, let’s say _'group'_ according to the stars under you were born; Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. The Zodiac?”

“Oh...well some of them sound similar to ours, but not really. We have the Ram, the Lioness, and the Archer, which belong to the Fire sector; the Crab, the Scorpion, and the Fish which belong to the Water sector; the Twins, the Scales, and the Water-Carrier which belong to the Air sector; and finally, the Bull, the Lady and the Goat, which belong to the Earth sector.”

“They are practically the same.” Kurt said smiling. Finally something about this land sounded familiar. “We use practically the same symbols, we just have a lion instead of a lioness and a virgin instead of a lady.”

They both laughed at the same time and looked at each other. Neither of them knew what was happening, but they were comfortable with each other in a way that they couldn't describe.

“Can I see you again tomorrow?” Blaine suddenly asked.

“Are you leaving now?” Kurt asked. The hint of disappointment didn’t go unnoticed by Blaine.

“No, but I wanted to make sure you wanted to see me again...we could meet back here or at the cathedral when the parade is over.” Blaine suggested.

“I’d love that.” Kurt said.

“Then, I’ll meet you at the cathedral. We could keep talking about the city and now you could share some stories about your land, and I could take you to some other places, the city is a whole new world when the sun is out.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Kurt said, smiling.

Blaine smiled back and grabbed his hand, focusing his gaze back to the sky. Kurt smiled too and looked at the stars, moving his body a little closer to Blaine's. Just when their arms were about to touch, Kurt felt something digging into him. Reaching with his left hand inside his borrowed woolen jerkin, he felt the notebook still secured inside his sweatpants' pocket.

“Is everything okay?” Blaine asked.

“Yeah, just trying to get more comfortable.” Kurt said.

Lying there with his left hand holding the notebook and his right hand holding Blaine, Kurt started to wonder if he would ever see his home again and wake up from this beautiful dream.

 _‘Do I want to go back?’_ He thought. And with one last look to the man lying beside him, and one look to the starry sky, he whispered, “Never.”

After some minutes the bells from the cathedral started to ring announcing midnight and without noticing, Kurt and Blaine fell into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for now, I really hope you're liking the story. Feel free to message me here, FF or on tumblr, and share your opinions. I'd love to read what you guys think. Anyways, I'll try to update next week! See you soon!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new chapter. I'm going to upload 2 chapters with this update so you guys can understand better how the story goes. Thanks for reading!

Inside the palace the feast was still in progress. The King was lost in some conversation with the Reman Ambassador, and Prince Cooper was dancing with every young lady available in the Royal Ball. Anyone would think that this was another normal Ball for the Anderson's. However, the Queen looked mortified. She couldn't help but think about her youngest son, who was confined to his chambers due to illness.

"Raymond!" She exclaimed, turning to her left where the Royal advisor, elegantly dressed in black velvet, was standing watching the Ball.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Have you been checking on my son?" She asked worriedly.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Every half an hour as I promised, and he's sleeping like a baby. Nothing to worry about." Raymond said, partially lying. He had been checking Blaine's chambers every half an hour, but just to make sure that the boy was already back. They had agreed he would be back by midnight, but so far he still hadn't returned.

"Good. I'll probably go and check on him before going to bed." The Queen said.

Raymond panicked, but tried not to show it. "As you wish, Your Majesty. In fact I think I'll go and check on him right now." He said, making a small reverence and quickly disappearing behind the glass doors.

The Queen just nodded and smiled. Her husband and the Reman Ambassador, Rinaldo Smythe, were walking toward her. The Queen grabbed her glass of wine and finished it in one gulp. She didn't like the Reman Ambassador, and she knew it would take more than one glass of the rich red Bellezzan wine to put up with his conversation. But she was the Queen, and she had duties to fulfill even when her heart wanted to be somewhere else.

o-o-o-o-o

When Blaine woke up, the first thing he noticed was that the sound coming from the _Piazza_ was now a barely noticeable hum. He opened his eyes, and turned around to try to wake up Kurt, but the boy was no longer there.

“Kurt?” He asked, but he was alone at the seashore.

Blaine thought that the boy had probably had to return to wherever he was staying. After all it was a little late.

Brushing the sand from his clothes, Blaine stood up and looked into the distance. The Piazza was not deserted, but there were just a few villagers still enjoying the festivities and that only meant one thing—dawn was near.

“Time to go back.” He told to himself, picking up his mask from the sand and noticing that Kurt had left his mask too, and all the clothes Jeff had borrowed him.

Shrugging, Blaine picked them up too and started to walk toward the palace. He would have to use one of the secret entrances to go back to his chambers and probably he wouldn't be able to get much sleep before the parade started, but it had been worth it. Everything had been worth it.

o-o-o-o-o

Raymond was pacing around a dark room, thinking of ways to justify Blaine's absence. He knew that if the Queen came into Blaine's room they both were going to get in a lot of trouble.

“This is what you get for helping him.” He scolded himself.

Turning around, Ray reached the door and just when he was about to leave, he heard some noises coming from the opposite wall—and he immediately exhaled relieved. He knew that only one person could be using those passageways this late at night.

After some minutes, Blaine pushed the wall and poked his curly messy head through the secret door.

"What are you-" Blaine tried to ask when he noticed the man standing there, but Ray immediately covered his mouth.

“Shhhh!” He shushed him, and in a whisper he said, “Your mother put some guards outside your door. She’s really worried about you. I think this time we went too far, Blaine. She told me she was going to check on you before going to bed. I panicked! I was already thinking on ways to justify your absence or why you had suddenly turned into a pillow, but now I'm glad you're here." He said, embracing him tightly. "Where have you been? I was worried! The festivities ended hours ago, Blaine! Hours! We said midnight and it's way past midnight!”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Blaine said, freeing himself from the old man’s embrace. “I fell asleep.”

“You fell asleep? Did you get bored or what? I thought that's what you wanted... _to enjoy the festivities like a true Bellezzan._ ”

Blaine shook his head sitting on his bed and removing some of his clothes. “No, on the contrary! I had the time of my life!” He said, sounding very excited. "The ceremony is completely different when you're one of them! It's beautiful and meaningful, and just amazing! And the food, Ray! The food! Why don't we have that food in here?" He questioned.

Ray just laughed and Blaine continued. "The dances are way more fun than those stupid Balls and-" He trailed off, a huge smile was spreading across his face.

“And?" Ray asked intrigued, noticing the smile on Blaine's face.

Blaine shook his head. Memories of his encounter with Kurt were flashing through his mind and his smile just went wider.

"May I ask the reason behind that smile?” Ray asked, looking at the boy with fatherly eyes.

Blaine took a deep breath and confessed. “I met someone!” He said, practically squealing.

"You mean, a new friend?" Ray asked confused.

"Well yes, he's my friend, but I like him. I really, really like him. He has the most beautiful eyes in all Bellezza! No! In all Talia! They are as blue as the sea and as bright as the moon! He's tall and toned, and his skin is so white that if you look closely it looks like pearls! He has these long and thin hands that feel so soft when you touch them, and a smile that could replace the sun at any moment!" He said, somehow lost in his thoughts.

"Blaine..."

"What?"

"What have I told you about setting your heart in the wrong direction?" Raymond said, being careful with his words. "You know you have responsibilities as a Prince. You can't go and practically fall in love with a complete stranger. You know your family is counting on you to keep the balance with the Smythe's and gain Fortezza."

"I know that, Ray! I think about that every single day! But you know what? I don't care anymore! I’m tired of all this absurdity! I just want to enjoy my life and be happy!”

“Aren't you happy here?” Ray asked.

“Not always.” Blaine confessed. “I mean, I love my life, I love this place and the city. Spending time with you is always amazing, and sometimes I even enjoy some of the things I have to do as Prince, but there’s something missing Ray...I need more. The life outside the palace is completely different from here, you know? Many people in town know who I am and they treat me like their equal, and that means more to me than all the things I have in here. I have friends, people who care about me, and I don’t have to follow any rule or protocol. I’m free! And maybe I’m being selfish, but I like that. Sometimes I feel trapped in these walls and all I want is to be happy. I want to date whoever I want and not just a guy who happens to be suitable for the interest of my family at the moment. This doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be a Prince anymore, but why can’t I have both lives, Ray? I mean, why can’t I still be Blaine Devon Anderson, Prince of the Anderson’s Kingdom and also be just Blaine? The boy who sometimes goes to town and enjoys an ordinary wine-skin with his friends, eating those blueberry muffins at the Nixon’s Bakery.”

Ray gave him a sympathetic look and took a seat next to him. “You know? You could ask your parents for more freedom. They really love you, Blaine...you should have seen your mother tonight. She was there, but her heart was somewhere else. She asked about you at least twenty times during the Ball. Why don’t you talk to them about that? Maybe ask them for some permission to visit town. Tell them how you feel! I could be your chaperon if they don’t want you to go by yourself, and think about this...If they agree, you could finally bring those crazy friends of yours to the palace and use the front doors and not the secret passageways.”

“Do you think they would allow that?”

“What? You being friends with the Baker and Merchant’s sons?”

Blaine just nodded. He didn’t like to say that out loud. He hated that people had to be measured according to the job they had or the role they played in society. Blaine believed that the only way to measure a person was by the size of its heart and nothing else.

“Have you ever asked you parents how they met?” Ray asked, instead of replying. Blaine shook his head. “But, you do know that your mother is not from here, don’t you?” He asked.

“Yes, she’s from Giglia.” Blaine replied, matter of factly. It was not a secret that his mother was from that city.

“I’m going to share this with you just because I can see that you are genuinely confused, but please never, ever, tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.”

Blaine nodded frantically, he was already eager to hear the story Ray was going to share with him. “I promise to never reveal any of what you’re about to tell me.” He said.

“Good.” Ray said, smiling slightly. “Your father and I met when I started to work here in the palace as the stable boy back when your grandfather, Nicholas Anderson, was the King of the Kingdom. Your father was a lot like you Blaine; I think that’s why you’re my favorite. I love Cooper as much as I love you, but I’ve never had this connection with him. Anyway, when your father turned sixteen your grandfather told him that he would have to get married to the Duchess of Giglia so they could start negotiations to get that city and make it part of the Anderson’s Kingdom. You know that the war for territory between your family and the Smythe’s dates from many years ago, so I won’t spend time telling you all the details, but your grandfather and Alessandro Smythe—who was the Ambassador back then—were determined to get Giglia for their respective families. Unfortunately for Alessandro all his sons and daughters were already married, so non could woo the Duchess. But your father was single and that's why Nicholas chose him to go to Giglia. He was the only Anderson in line for the crown available at the moment.” Ray explained.

“So, my parents’ marriage was arranged?” Blaine asked a bit shocked. He had always thought that their parents really loved each other.

“No…the Duchess of Giglia’s name was Elia Dimichi.” Ray said.

“Was?”

“Yes, she died three months after she handed the control of the city to your family. Nobody ever knew the causes, but you can start to guess who was behind all of this. Anyway, one day your father told me that he would have to go to Giglia to meet the Duchess and ask her to marry him. I could tell that your father wasn't happy about it, but he knew his duties, so he went.”

“And what happened?” Blaine asked intrigued.

“He met the Duchess, but he couldn’t ask her to marry him in the first audience. He liked Elia, but he was just like you, Blaine. He wanted more.”

Blaine smiled, genuinely pleased to hear that his father used to think just like him. It was a relief to hear it, all his life he had felt like he didn’t belong to all the rules and protocols of the palace, but now that he knew his father used to be like him that gave him a reason to admire him even more.

“Naturally, one night, tired of the rules and feeling trapped, your father—being the trouble seeker that he was—escaped from the palace where he was staying at Giglia and met your mother when he was exploring the city.”

“My mother is not royalty?” Blaine asked shocked. He couldn’t picture Pamela Anderson as nothing else but a Queen. She was so elegant and polite, her manners were exquisite—nobody could think she was nothing else but royalty born.

“No, she was not. Your parents fell in love that night and Richard begged your grandfather not to force him to marry the Duchess, but Nicholas Anderson refused telling him that he had responsibilities as a Prince.”

Blaine rolled his eyes. _‘Where have I heard that before?’_ He thought.

“Your father was torn, but he listened to your grandfather's arguments and accepted to marry Elia. He knew the future of the Kingdom came first, so the family set everything and prepared an Engagement Ball.”

“And my mother?”

“Richard once told me that he talked to her and swore her that his heart would always belong to her, but that he had responsibilities with his family, and although your mother was very sad, she understood and wished the best to your father and his future wife.”

“That’s sounds a lot like my mother, she’s always the one who understands everyone.”

“Yes, she’s a very kind and wise woman, but let me finish,” Ray said, “the engagement day arrived and just when your father went down on one knee and asked the Duchess to marry him, she said no.”

“Really?” Blaine asked. He had already guessed that something like that had happened or else his parents wouldn't be together, but he was curious anyway.

“Yes, she said no, shocking everyone. Your father told me that Alessandro Smythe was smiling triumphantly, he knew he had just won the territory since almost all the free rulers tended to please the church and the Smythe's have always control that, but then Elia explained the reasons behind her response and everything changed.”

“Was she in love with someone else?” Blaine asked, trying to guess.

“No, but she knew that your father was, so she just gave the control of the city to your family saying that the Anderson’s were the only ones who deserved to rule her city because only a true ruler would put his own Kingdom above his personal interests. She confessed to admire your father because he was willing to let go of the love of his life just to ensure that the people of the Kingdom had a better future, and for her that was enough to want to make alliances with your family and ensure that Giglia belonged to the Anderson’s Kingdom.”

“Oh.” Blaine breathed out.

“Yes, sometimes when you think you’re doing the wrong thing, you’re actually doing the opposite. After that everything settled for the better and your father looked for your mother, they got engaged and married three months later. Your uncle Felix who was already married, but was just a Count, took over Giglia when Elia died, and your father and Pamela went back to Bellezza to live as princes...then your grandfather died and your father, being the only heir in line for the throne available at the moment took over the crown.”

“Ray-” Blaine trailed off. “What was my mother before she married my father?”

“The daughter of the miller.”

Blaine’s eyes went wide as he let the news to sink in. It was so weird to hear this information, it was like if Ray were talking about someone completely different and no the King and Queen of the Kingdom—his parents.

“So…” Ray continued, “as you can see, your mother was not always that elegant woman you now know Blaine, she was one of them too. So if you ask them properly and using the right words, I don’t see why they would be upset with the idea of you visiting the town and being friends of Jeff and Trent.”

Blaine smiled, he liked that idea. He wanted to be able to go to the city without having to sneak using the secret passageways, but there was still something wandering through his mind.

“And Kurt?”

“Who’s Kurt?”

“The boy I met...what about him?”

“Hmmm, what do you mean?” Ray asked, not sure of what Blaine wanted him to reply.

“Do you think they would mind if I keep seeing him?”

Ray laughed. “Blaine, you just met the boy, don’t worry about that now.”

“I know I just met him Ray, but there’s something about him that moves me. I can’t explain it, but I’ve never felt like this with anyone before.”

Ray frowned. He was now curious to know more about this apparently incredible man Blaine had met. “Tell me more about him.”

“I don’t know much about him, we mainly talked about the festivities and the city, but I’m going to see him again later, when the parade is over. We are going to meet at the cathedral, but I know he’s from _Amerighi_ and came to the city yesterday. He was at Padavia for some days, but now he’s staying here. I don’t know where, but he’s here.”

“Does he know who you are?” Ray suddenly asked.

Blaine hesitated.

“Blaine…”

Blaine lowered his gaze and confessed, “No, I didn’t tell him.”

“Then, how do you intend to keep seeing him? You know you can’t always sneak out of the palace. You have commitments here...duties.”

“I know, and I’m going to tell him. Maybe later when we’re walking around the city. I just wanted him to like me as Blaine and not as the Prince, you know?”

Ray smiled sympathetically and passed an arm around the boy’s shoulders. Blaine smiled warmly and rested his head on the old man’s chest. There were friendships and bounds that were difficult to explain, but Blaine felt that Ray was the second father he hadn't asked for, but was grateful that life had granted him anyway.

"I'll let you rest for a couple of hours, okay? I'm glad you're back and that you’ve had a great time. I'll see you in a few hours at the parade." Ray said, standing up and leaving the room.

Blaine took a deep breath and lay in bed, smiling with just the memory of those blue eyes that now were part of every single one of his thoughts.

o-o-o-o-o

The dim light coming from the candle in the desk barely illuminated the room. Ray was seated there with a folded black silk package above the table. He took one deep breath and unfolded it, carefully extending the silky material above the desk and grabbing his cards.

"Here we go." He murmured to himself, while he methodically placed the cards over the table, letting them face up one by one.

This time he paid attention to the order the cards came into view. The Prince of Air, Four of Air, the Hanged Man, the Moon, the Magician, Four of Earth, the King of Water, Four of Fire, the Tower, Death, the Lovers, Four of Water, and finally the Sword.

He had dealt the exact same pattern he had gotten last month in his monthly reading with Blaine and his friends.

"This can't be good." He said, to no one in particular. Sometimes he liked to voice his thoughts in hope to find an answer in his own mind.

He contemplated the pattern for five straight minutes. He was certain that there must be some hidden message behind the cards that he didn't catch in his first reading.

The Sword clearly meant danger; the King and the Prince represented the Royal family. He suspected that one of its members was Richard, and the other one either Blaine or Cooper—his brother.

"Or some other young boy." He murmured.

The four fours were confusing. If he read them just as cards, they could mean missing opportunities, progress, stability and the calling of a truce, but Ray knew better, and the fact that the four cards were flanking the King and the Prince clearly meant something else. The number 16 was his best shot.

"It could be a day, a lunar cycle or-" He trailed off, trying not to let his mind to go in that direction and moving his eyes to the other cards.

The Hanged Man. That card meant sacrifice and detachment, and it was placed exactly between the Four of Air and the Moon.

"The moon." Ray whispered. It meant dreams and nightmares, hidden things—particularly enemies. But then next to it was the Magician, the card of power, creativity and communication.

"Odd." He murmured.

The Tower meant sudden and unexpected change, release, revelation, breaking down of old forms and renovation. Raymond knew that the placement of that card so near to the King was not a coincidence, and the fact that the Death card was next to it just confirmed his suspicions. The ending of something was near—the end of an era or cycle.

But the Lovers intrigued him the most. That card clearly meant love, partnership, affection and commitment, and it was placed near the Prince of Air.

"Could this mean that-" he trailed off. A sudden shiver went through his body and his heart skipped several beats.

Analyzing the cards one more time, he exhaled already tired. Danger, the Royal family, a young boy, the number 16, changes and sacrifices were the clearest messages, but he couldn't get anything else from them. If the cards wanted to give him a warning about something else he couldn’t understand it, at least not yet.

 _How long would he have to wait to finally understand this reading?_ He didn't know, but somehow he felt that the time was close, very close.

He walked to the window and looked out over the garden in the terrace. Lanterns swung gently between the trees, illuminating the flowers and leaves, bleached of their vivid daytime colors. In the distance the birds sang as the sun started to peek through the horizon.

He walked back to the desk and folded his cards. Sighing, Raymond put away his means of divination and started to prepare himself for the parade. A new day was just starting in the city of Beauty and he had to get ready.


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt returned to his body with a jolt. At least, returning to his body was what it felt like. He was immediately weighed down by his exhaustion. If he hadn't already been lying in bed, he would have fallen. His hands were asleep and tighten around the notebook that strangely had gone with him to that weird dream. He blinked repeatedly and yawned. He could still smell the salty air of the sea, and feel the soft sand on the back of his head where he had fallen asleep next to Blaine.

“Blaine…” He whispered, and in that moment realization hit him. Everything had been a dream, an amazing almost-vivid dream, but still not real.

And, _how could he have invented Blaine and the whole incredible city that was and yet wasn't Venice?_ He didn't know, but it still felt so much like the reality and the miserable life he had in Lima like the dream that Kurt almost believed he would still be wearing Jeff's jerkin and the green mask they lent him. But of course he wasn't, he was wearing just the shirt and sweatpants in which he had been transported to Bellezza.

“Bellezza.” He said out loud with a soft laugh.

His mind had gone way too far this time. Still laughing, Kurt looked down to his clothes and his mouth went dry. His white shirt was stained with what look like wine, but it couldn't be, because everything had been a dream.

"Just a dream." He tried to reassure himself.

"But it felt so real." He sighed, dragging himself out of bed.

He couldn't explain the stain on his shirt, but his first guess was that now he was walking asleep, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Maybe all the stress he had been dealing with in the past few weeks was finally paying off and he was starting to lose his mind.

Confused, he took a quick shower and stayed under the streaming hot water for almost an hour. Daydreaming about the boy with the hazel eyes, the colorful and magical fireworks, and that dance in front of the sea.

 o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt finally made it downstairs, he found Finn playing video games at the huge T.V in the living room. Kurt knew it was Finn’s favorite place to play. When they moved to this bigger house, Burt had bought that huge plasma for the family to enjoy the games and movies together. Obviously, he had placed it in the living room so everybody could use it and naturally, that had led to a series of fights about what to watch. There were wars—literally—because everybody wanted to watch their favorite shows; Burt the football games, Carole the soap operas and documentaries, Finn the shitty TV shows he liked and Kurt the fashion shows.

Usually the wars ended when either Carole or Burt grabbed the remote and removed the batteries, and Finn and Kurt ended up watching what their parents wanted. So if Finn was playing video games on a Saturday morning in that TV it only meant that their parents were not home.

"Where are my dad and your mom?" Kurt asked.

"They are not here, they had to go to some last minute event in D.C., they said they would be back tomorrow noon." Finn explained, not taking his eyes off his game.

"Oh, and why didn't they wake me up?" Kurt asked confused. His parents usually needed his help to pick their outfits for the important events Burt had at the congress. After all that was Kurt’s area of expertise.

"They tried, dude, but you were sound asleep and Burt said that maybe it was better to let you rest. Though I was about to wake you up, they left very early and-" Finn trailed off.

"And you haven't eaten anything." Kurt guessed.

Finn finally looked up from the screen and gave Kurt his goofy smile. "You know I can't even prepare cereal without burning the whole kitchen." He said, as a matter of explanation.

Kurt laughed. It was true, Finn was officially a disaster in the kitchen, even worst than his dad and that was saying something. The only thing Kurt was thankful for was that Finn never, ever, tried to cook anything, unlike his father who tried to do it all the time and usually ended up in a disaster.

"I'll make some breakfast." Kurt informed.

"You mean lunch." Finn said, smiling.

Kurt frowned and looked over the clock above the screen. 1:48pm. He had overslept and that was extremely unusual of him. And more unusual was that even though he slept for more than 6 hours—his usual hours of sleep—he felt tired as hell, like if he hadn’t slept at all.

“Oh...I didn’t know it was this late.” He confessed.

“Yeah, it’s weird when you’re the one sleeping like a bear and I’m the one helping our parents pack their stuff.” Finn confessed. “My mom was about to lose her shit when I suggested the green dress for the Gala.” Finn said.

Kurt just laughed, picturing Finn choosing the outfits for her mother. “Yeah, that’s weird...but hmmm, I’ll go make something for lunch, okay?”

“Thanks, bro!” Finn said, returning his attention to the game.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt entered the kitchen the first thing he noticed was that there was an empty bottle of red wine above one of the counters.

 _‘Maybe I do walk asleep.’_ He thought to himself, quickly fetching all the ingredients to make some Tuna Pasta Salad. At least now he could explain the stain on his shirt, although he didn’t remember walking to the kitchen at night. All he could remember was Blaine spilling the wine on him by accident.

While he drained the beans, the tuna and chopped the tomatoes and gherkins, he let his mind get lost in all the memories he had from that weird, but amazing dream. Still wondering how he came up with such a bizarre, but somehow perfect world, he put the pasta to cook in the large pot of boiling salted water and exhaled.

He knew it would take at least ten minutes for the pasta to be ready so he ran upstairs and grabbed his laptop, quickly returning to the kitchen to check on the food.

While he waited, Kurt opened a new tab and browsed on the Internet. He searched _Bellezza, Padavia, sacrifici, Cerimonia di sangue_ and every detail he could remember from his dream, but nothing similar to what he had dreamed came into the results. It was clear he had invented it all, but the question still was, _how?_

“It can’t be real.” He whispered to himself.

“Did you say something?” Finn, who was just entering the kitchen, asked.

“No, I was just talking to myself.” Kurt said, closing his laptop. “The food will be ready in five more minutes.” He said, noticing that the pasta was in its perfect point. _‘Al dente.’_ He chuckled. That sounded so Bellezzan that he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Did I miss the joke or something?” Finn asked, making himself comfortable in one of the kitchen stools.

“No, I was just thinking that the word _al dente_ sounds funny.” Kurt said, and Finn just looked at him with a confused expression.

Kurt laughed and turned around to finish preparing the food. He mixed the pasta, the beans, the tuna, some cherry tomatoes and gherkins in a large bowl, and whisked mayonnaise, white vinegar and fresh parsley until the whole mixed was combined. He added some salt and pepper and placed the bowl on the table. He didn’t like to brag or anything, but cooking was one of his many talents.

Finn immediately grabbed a plate and started to eat without waiting for Kurt to even sit down. Kurt laughed and took out some sprinkled water and poured two glasses.

“So…” Finn said. His mouth was full with pasta. “Do you have any plans for tonight? You know? Now that we have the house for ourselves?”

Kurt shook his head and took a seat. “Not really, I was planning on staying here all day and maybe take a nap. I don’t know why, but I’m exhausted.” Kurt confessed.

“You do look tired, bro...is everything alright?” Finn asked. “You’ve been acting weird in these past weeks and I don’t know, buddy, but I kinda get the feeling that you’re hiding something.” He said.

“I’m fine, Finn.” Kurt said, afraid that his brother could discover his secret. “I’m just kind of tired with school and Glee rehearsals, that’s all. But tell me, do you have plans for tonight? Are you going to invite Rachel over or something?”

Rachel was Finn's girlfriend since sophomore year.

“No, I’m going to Puck’s place. He’s throwing a party...do you wanna come?”

“No, you know I can’t mix myself with the football team, but thanks.” Kurt said, genuinely smiling to his brother.

“You know we have your back, Kurt. You don’t need to be afraid, if you wanna come with me to the party I can promise to take care of you. I can even just drink juice if you want.” He suggested. “Be the sober one this time.”

Kurt smiled at him with tenderness. Finn was a really good guy, he was loyal and kind, but most importantly a great brother. Kurt couldn’t be happier to have him in his life—and not only as a brother, but as a friend too.

“No, thanksm Finn, but you go and have tons of fun. I’m really tired, so I’ll probably do some homework and then go to bed early.” Kurt said.

“Okay, well if you change your mind, let me know. I’m not leaving until three.” Finn said. “I told Puck I would be there early to help him set the speakers and the bar.”

Kurt just smiled and nodded.

“By the way bro, this is delicious...thanks.” Finn said, pointing to the food.

“You’re welcome.”

o-o-o-o-o

They finished eating while they just talked about meaningless things, Finn rambling about Rachel’s shenanigans and Kurt just nodding and giving him sympathetic looks every now and then.

Later, when Finn was busy doing the dishes, Kurt grabbed his laptop again and opened a new tab typing Venice. Maybe Bellezza wasn’t real, but he was curious to know why it looked so close to the real Venice, and he also wanted to see if the places he had imagined looked somehow similar to the real ones. Because he had never been in Venice and he was sure some of the places he invented in his dream didn’t even exist. He was sure about that because he had seen some pictures of the city and had shared his wish to go someday, but all the things he had imagined had been way too far elaborated to be just the product of his sometimes-crazy imagination.

Kurt clicked on the first page that popped and read to himself.

_“Venice is a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 117 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon, which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture, and its artworks. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon.”_

He read some more until he reached the part where they talked about the water and the floods. There was an article quoted there that said that if the flood barriers weren’t built, the whole city could disappear under the sea—like Atlantis. So that only meant that Venice wasn’t Bellezza. Kurt was sure that the city of his dream hadn’t been sinking, though he didn’t know how he knew it. Bellezza was as unlike a doomed city as it could be, bustling, prosperous, full of its own charm.

“I’m done.” Finn said, rinsing his hand in the sink and bringing Kurt back to reality.

“Thanks.” Kurt said, closing his laptop again.

“I’ll go take a shower...are you sure you don’t wanna come with me to the party? It could be fun! The entire school is going to be there. If we get lucky, we could even perform without them throwing us things.”

“No, thanks, Finn. I’ll stay here.”

“As you wish.” The tall boy said, walking away and leaving Kurt alone at the kitchen.

o-o-o-o-o

Once Finn left the house all dressed up in his best party clothes, Kurt resumed his research about Venice and its wonders, but was quickly interrupted by the loudly ring of his phone that he had left somewhere upstairs.

Running to his room, Kurt grabbed his phone and answered the call without looking at the screen.

“Hello.” He said.

 _“Kurt! Hi! It’s me, Mercedes!”_ The voice on the other side of the line exclaimed excitedly.

“Hi, Cedes! What’s up girl?”

_“Are you going to Puck’s party tonight?”_

Kurt shook his head even though he knew his friend couldn’t see him. “No, I’m not...I’m super tired, so I’ll go to bed early.”

 _“No, Kurt! You have to come with me! I don’t wanna enter that place by myself.”_ She said.

“Sorry, Cedes, but I’m really, really tired. Why don’t you ask Tina to go with you? I’m sure she’ll be happy to accompany you.”

 _“She’s going with Mike.”_ Mercedes said, as a matter of explanation.

“Oh! Hmmm, then maybe Artie?” He suggested, running out of friends who could go with her to the improvised party.

_“Yeah, maybe I could call him, but are you sure you don’t wanna go with me?”_

“Yeah, I’m sure. Finn already invited me, but I’m really, really tired...have fun, though.”

_“I will, and probably I’ll call you tomorrow to let you know who hooked up with who, and all the gossip I get from there, okay?”_

Kurt laughed and nodded. “Okay, that sounds great!”

_“Well, then I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”_

“Yeah…” Kurt said smiling, but suddenly something came into his mind. “Wait!”

 _“Did you change your mind?”_ Mercedes asked hopefully.

“No, hmmm…do you still have your public library card?” He asked.

_“Yes, why?”_

“Could you lend it to me?” He asked.

 _“Yeah, sure...but, why do you need books on Saturday? I mean, we don’t have any essay or assignment for next week. At least not that I know about.”_ Mercedes said, not really following her friend.

“Yeah, I know, but I promised my dad that I would try to study a little more. I didn’t do great in History last month, so I’ll probably use some real books that can explain me the difference between feudalism and capitalism without using cartoon characters to illustrate it.”

Mercedes laughed. _“Okay, hmmm…do you want me to go to your house now?”_ She asked.

“No, I can go to your house. It’s closer to the library anyway.”

_“Okay, then I’ll see you here.”_

“I’m on my way!” Kurt said excitedly.

Suddenly he was finding a new way to at least be partially happy. If dreams about Blaine and Bellezza were all he could get, he was determined to make the most of them and learn all he could about the real city to enrich his experience whenever his mind decided to take him back.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt arrived to the Lima Public Library, he immediately got lost in the halls of bookshelves until he found the books that referred to the history of Italy. Scanning all the titles he decided to pick just some books and start with them. He grabbed one that said _A History of Venice_ by John Julius, another one that said _The House of Medici_ _the Rise and Fall_ by Christopher Hibbert, and finally one that said _History of Italy_ by Francesco Guicciardini. They all looked like they could help him with his research, so he placed them in the nearest table and started to scan them.

When he started to read the first page of one of the books, he noticed that his eyelids felt heavy, so afraid to fall asleep in the middle of the room (in case his mind took him back to Bellezza), he used Mercedes’ card and instead of reading them there, he took out the books, and drove back home.

o-o-o-o-o

By 8 o'clock Kurt knew more about the history, geography, government and economy of Venice and Italy than he knew about his own country. After hours of reading the fascinating books and looking on the Internet for reference pictures, he was stunned. Kurt found particularly intriguing that apparently in his dream he had traveled to an old era of this alternative version of Venice. The architecture, the clothes, the ornamentation and even the decoration during the festivity he dreamed about, all of them pointed that he had gone to a parallel version of Venice set on the Renaissance era.

 _‘How?’_ Kurt thought to himself and sighed. He knew that nothing made any sense, and that he probably shouldn't be so worried about a dream, but somehow he couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was all so fresh in his mind.

Tired, he rubbed his eyes and closed his laptop and all the books. Turning the TV on, he found some reruns of Friends in one of the channels and started to watch them, quickly getting drowsy with the hum emanating from the television, and falling asleep without realizing it.

o-o-o-o-o

Half and hour later, Kurt woke up sweating from a dream in which he stood at the end of a sleek black gondola holding a wine-skin. A man with no face sat far away in the other end, making notes in a book as if he was evaluating his performance. _“If you don’t beat the record I established,”_ he was saying, his voice sounded raspy and very similar to Karofsky’s, and that thought had sent shivers through all Kurt’s body. _“I shall take my mask off and you’ll have to face me now.”_

In the dream that had been the most terrifying threat, so Kurt had forced himself awake rather than confront the horror he knew lurked behind that mask. But as he lay there, hot and damp with fear, a curious certainty settled on him. If this had been a dream, then the other hadn’t. This was ordinary PG-13 movie nightmare stuff, with none of the logical reality of his night-time visit to Bellezza.

He blinked repeatedly. He didn’t know why, but he knew the city where Blaine lived was real—he was sure of it.

Now all he had to do was find a way to go back there. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for now, I'll try to update soon. Once again, thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but I was kind of busy. Here's another update, this time I decided to upload 3 chapters, so enjoy!!! This story is super long so I hope it's making some sense.

Blaine dipped his head in a bucket of cold water and quickly rinsed it. A new day was just starting and although he hadn’t slept at all—just the few hours he had slept with Kurt—he was as energetic as if he had slept for a full day.

Blaine came out of the bathroom and got dressed. He was adjusting his cloak in front of the mirror and placing his silver crown while his serving-maid, Agatha, was brushing the dust from his shoulders to make him look perfect for the parade.

“You look fantastic, Your Highness.” The young woman said.

“Agatha...” Blaine said, rolling his eyes.

“I'm sorry, you look fantastic, Blaine.” She corrected herself. It was hard for her to refer to the Prince just by his pile name. After all, the servants had strictly forbidden the formation of any kind of bond with the Royal family, but Blaine was different and all the employees of the palace knew it. He was the kind of boy who crept into the kitchen in the middle of the night to have some extra dessert while the employees were still having dinner. Everybody would think that he, as the Prince, would take his plate and sit at the Royal dining table, but no. He always sat with them in one of the small kitchen tables, talking to all the servants as if he were one of them.

“Thank you, Agatha...do you know if my parents are already awake? I need to talk to them.” Blaine asked. He was going to follow Raymond’s advice and ask permission to visit town.

“Yes, Your-I mean, Blaine. They were getting ready.” She informed him.

In that moment the door of his room swung open and a tall handsome man with bright blue eyes, walked in. He was wearing one of those elaborated dark red velvet doublets embroidered with silver threads, a pair of tall matching leather boots, a fur cloak that covered his back from the shoulders to the middle of his calves and a silver crown.

“Hello, Lamb!” He exclaimed, flashing Blaine with his perfect white-toothed smile.

“Stop calling me like that, Cooper!” Blaine said, turning around to face his annoying older brother. Blaine was wearing the same attire as his brother, but his doublet was navy blue instead of red.

“Mother told us yesterday that you were feeling unwell, I just wanted to make sure that you were still among us. She told us the _dottore_ had given you some tonics that knocked you out.”

“Yes, I was asleep all day and night.” Blaine lied.

“Well, you didn’t miss a lot. As usual everything went well, though I really envy you right now because while you were here _sleeping,_ ” he said, and Blaine didn’t know why, but he got a hint of irony when his brother said that last word, “father made me stay with him while he chatted with Ambassador Smythe. By the way, he’s a complete imbecile! No wonder why father wants to banish him from our Kingdom.”

“Cooper!” Blaine exclaimed scandalized, aware of Agatha who was still in the room.

Cooper shrugged and took a seat by the bed. Blaine gave Agatha a quick nod with the head, indicating her that she could go now. The young maid, after offering the Princes a polite curtsy, walked out the room and left them alone.

“You can’t keep your mouth shut, can you?” Blaine teased, laughing a little at his brother’s antics.

Cooper smiled. “No, I can’t. I think it’s in my nature. But you don’t look so sick, what happened to you yesterday?”

Blaine got nervous, but managed to keep a straight face to reply. “I had a cold, but the _dottore_ said it was not that bad and just gave me some tonics, and now I feel perfect. Almost like if I had never been sick in the first place.”

“Good, because we have the parade and I'm not going to spend the whole ride alone. Sometimes I kind of miss your lamby face.”

Blaine smiled at his older brother. They were close brothers, they had always been there for each other, but unfortunately the age difference between them made it difficult for them to be in each other's lives as much as they would like. They had different responsibilities, Cooper was twenty-five and had been married before, while Blaine, well—he was seventeen and still waiting for some of his molars to sprout.

“How was the Ball?” Blaine asked. “I bet you had a lot of fun.”

“It was okay…same old, same old.” Cooper said, standing up and walking to the balcony. “Uncle’s Felix cousins from Volona were here and you know mother, she made me dance with each and every one of them in hope that somehow I find a new wife.”

“Do you want to marry again after what happened with Arianna?” Blaine asked carefully, he knew that the topic about Cooper’s late wife was still an open wound.

Cooper shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, not even a year has passed since she left, but I guess that if I had to do it, I’ll marry again. But right now I just want to forget about that and give myself some time to think about everything. I still miss her every day.”

“I understand that brother, believe me that I do. We all miss her greatly, but father is getting old and you’re the next in line for the throne. You can’t get the crown if you’re not married.” Blaine said, matter of factly.

The Kingdom’s laws clearly said that any woman or man—regardless of the gender of their partner—who was eligible for the crown had to be married under the laws of his/her Kingdom by the time he or she assumed the position.

“Who says I want to be King?” Cooper teased.

Blaine’s eyes snapped open with fear, and Cooper, noticing the shocked expression on his little brother’s face, burst out laughing.

“Don’t play with that, Cooper!” Blaine scolded him.

“Sorry! But you should have seen your face! You are really worried about the arranged marriage, aren’t you?”

Blaine sighed and nodded, looking down at his hands. He was ashamed to admit it in front of his brother, but he couldn’t help it. He was truly afraid of his imminent fate.

“Don’t worry, Lamb. Last night I met your future husband to be and he’s not _that_ bad looking. A bit cocky and too tall for your tiny self, but he’s cute. Well, obviously just if you’re into boys, because between you and I, he looks like a horse.” Cooper said, winking playfully. “And I’ve seen beautiful horses.”

“Shut up!” Blaine said, throwing a cushion toward his brother.

“Careful, Lamb! You’re going to ruin my cloak!” Cooper said, straightening his still perfect cloak.

“Then shut up! He’s not my soon to be anything!” Blaine said, rolling his eyes.

“Well, you don’t want him to be your soon to be anything, but the _creme de la creme_ of the Kingdom says otherwise. Rumor has it that you already started talks with his father.” Cooper said, knowing before hand the reaction he would get from his little brother.

“That’s a lie!” Blaine snapped.

“Calm down, okay? I know, but that’s what they are saying. I thought you deserved to know, and if you want my opinion...I think you should make your statement about not wanting to get married yet.” Cooper said, giving his little brother a sympathetic look.

“Father would never accept that.” Blaine said a little crestfallen. “He’s already convinced that the marriage with that Smythe is going to assure us Fortezza.”

Cooper shook his head slightly and just smiled. “You don’t know that, Lamb. Maybe you’d be surprised with his answer. There are a lot of things about our parents that we don’t know.” He said, trying to sound vague, but Blaine already knew of what he was talking about—the story that Ray had shared with him just a few hours ago.

“Why?” Blaine inquired. Maybe if his brother shared the story with him, he could use it to get the permission to visit town.

Cooper stood up and walked to the door without replying. Blaine followed him with his gaze the whole time, and just when Cooper opened the door, he turned around and replied smiling, “because nobody is who they seem to be, Lamb. Not even you.” He said, flashing Blaine with his annoying crooked smile and walking out the room.

Blaine frowned very confused. He knew his brother’s words had double meaning and before he could ask what was it, Cooper poked his head through the door again.

“By the way, Lamb, why did you wear a blue kerchief last night? You know your color is white. If you’re going to have a double life, at least make it believable and don’t try to deny the stars under which you were born.” He said, winking at his little brother and closing the door behind him.

“He knows!” Blaine panicked. His brother knew that he had lied about being sick and he didn’t know how that had happened.

Glancing to the window to see how much time he had before the parade started, he opened the secret door of his room and entered the passageway. He had to see Ray immediately.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine walked through the secret halls until he reached the North wing of the palace. He knew that Ray was not in his chambers, so instead of taking the first door, he walked to the second one and started to climb the stairs to get to the top of the tower, where Raymond’s laboratory was settled.

When he reached the door, he hesitated for a minute. Two voices instead of one were coming from inside the room. Getting closer to the secret door, Blaine placed an ear against it, and tried to listen to the conversation that Ray was having on the inside.

“I already told you, Ray, things are not doing great in Fortezza. Last night, between glasses of wine that Pamela gave to the Ambassador, he confessed that his family was looking forward to start the alliance with Bellezza before Fortezza finally fell into their power. They want to strengthen the union between our families to ensure another territory.” Richard Anderson said, his voice sounded worried, and Blaine held his breath.

“Do you think the reading I’ve been having in my cards has something to do with that?” Raymond asked.

“You know I don’t believe in card reading, Ray.” Richard said. “But it could be, you said something about danger, right? And well, if we don’t take control of this situation soon, we’re going to be in great danger—the entire Kingdom is going to be in great danger. I don’t even want to think about what could happen if the Smythe’s finally got control in all the cities. Bellezza, Giglia, Padavia, Bellona and Montemurato are the only cities ruled by our family, and Fortezza and Volana are still neutral territory. If they get Fortezza before us then the balance would be lost and since they already have Remora and Romula, we would be doomed.” Richard trailed off.

Blaine, who was still listening behind the secret door, tried not to breathe too loudly, but he couldn't help it. He knew some things were up with the control of the cities within the Kingdom, and that so far his family ruled half of the cities, but hearing those news gave him chills.

“But the plan you have to get Fortezza is risky, Richard, we don’t really know this boy that well.” Ray said.

“I know, but what other option do we have? They already took the lead with what Francesco did. So it’s that and pretend to keep the neutrality as they are doing to later take over the city, or let them grab it without a fight and worse risking my son’s life.” Richard said.

“God forbid that!” Ray said. “But, do you think he’s ready?” He asked—the hint of concern in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by Blaine. Although they hadn’t said his name, Blaine knew they were talking about him.

“Sincerely? No, I don’t think he’s ready and no because I don’t believe he’s capable of ruling the city on his own, he’s very capable of doing so, but because he’s still too young and innocent, and that family is the devil on the flesh...but what other option do we really have? He has to do it, Ray.”

Blaine leaned his body against the wall to get some balance. He was certain they were talking about that stupid marriage that they wanted to happen in order to win Fortezza. But Blaine didn't want it, and less when his family was using the same filthy tactics that the Smythe’s were using against them.

“But that plan is going to put him right in the middle of the conflict, Richard. It’s like sending your best _gondole_ to the sea and hope it can make it during a storm.” Ray said.

“I know that! And believe me that I’m worried about my son’s safety more than losing the city, but what else can I do?”

“Wait...just wait and time will bring you, us _,_ the answer Richard. Right now we don’t need to rush anything, wait and see what happens with Fortezza. We know they are weak, so maybe we could come up with something to win their trust and get the city without sacrificing anyone.”

“And if that doesn’t work? Francesco is not going to surrender that easily. He wants his nephew to rule Fortezza with my son as his handbag. He told me that last night.”

“I know, and I'm sure he’s going to be a headache, but we will find a way to neutralize him. And if that doesn’t work well...then we will consider your plan.” Ray said.

Blaine had to control himself and not lose his temper because first, he wasn’t supposed to be listening to that conversation, and second he didn’t know all the information. He knew that listening to other people's conversations was wrong, but somehow he also knew that he had every right to know every detail. After all, they were talking about his future and his Kingdom.

“Meanwhile, what should I do?”

“Don’t pressure your kid and let him be. He has had enough with knowing that this important decision may fall into his shoulders eventually.”

“But he has duties.” Richard said, and Blaine couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“And so did you, and you never followed them.” Ray said, and Blaine could hear his father’s laughter.

“Sometimes I forget with whom I’m talking to.”

“Never forget it my old friend, because if there’s someone in this palace who knows all your secrets that’s me.”

“True!” Richard admitted.

“And if you want to know my opinion about this, I think your son is ready. But between you and me, he doesn’t deserve that future. You’ve been there...is that what you want for him?”

“No, but-”

“Listen, Richard. I know you hate this, but whether you like it or not, your youngest son is just an improved version of yourself. He’s not going to just say yes without a fight.”

“I know that, Ray, that’s why I haven’t talked to him about it again. I see myself in him every single day, and that’s exactly why I want what's best for him.” Richard confessed.

“Then, let him be happy.” Ray said.

After that, Blaine couldn’t hear another word. He started to wonder if they were still in the room, if they had discovered him or what had happened, but he couldn’t stay there to find out. If they had heard him, then Blaine had to run and go back to his room as fast as he could. He couldn’t risk being discovered by his father, much less after the conversation he had just heard. The odds were not exactly in his favor, but somehow Ray had bought him some time. Now he just had to persuade his father about the arranged marriage and find a way to help his family win Fortezza without him having to get married to one of the Smythe’s.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine rushed through the halls and entered his room. When he was just recovering his breath, Agatha walked in and informed him that the King and the Queen were waiting for him to go to the parade.

Blaine checked his attire one last time in front of the large mirror and walked away. Now he had to face his brother. With the conversation he had overheard, he had almost forgotten why he had gone to Ray’s laboratory in the first place. He still had to figure out how his brother had discovered him and most importantly, why he hadn’t said anything yet.

o-o-o-o-o

The parade was as colorful and exciting as in every other year. The Bellezzans and lagooners still visiting the city were covering the canals with multi-colored petals that they threw into the water in gratitude for the _sacrifici._ Now that Blaine had witnessed what this whole ceremony really meant for the people, he knew that every single petal that touched the water came from a very beautiful place within the villagers’ hearts, and that made Blaine’s heart melt with joy.

Blaine almost shed a tear when a little girl approached his father right before they climbed into their _gondole_ and instead of throwing the petals to the water, she gave the flower to the King saying that it was too beautiful to rip its petals, but she wanted him to have it. His father had taken the flower and given the little girl a small pat on her head before saying thank you and proceeding to place the flower in the Queen’s hair.

The people had _awww-ed_ the gesture and made a reverence to the King. They really loved and admired his father deeply, and that made Blaine feel proud of who he was.

“Awww that was sweet.” Cooper had whispered at the scene, and with that Blaine had remembered he had to question his brother.

“Coop! We need to talk!”

“Later, Lamb! Now enjoy the parade. Meet me at my chambers after this is over.” Cooper had said, and Blaine had just nodded, smiling to the people and enjoying the parade that was thrown in their honor.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine was completely changed into more comfortable clothes and making his way to Cooper’s chambers that were located on the opposite wing of the hall that led to his own chambers. When he opened the door he found his brother waiting for him by the coffee table, drinking a glass of Bellezza’s most famous red wine.

“You want one?” Cooper asked, raising his glass, and Blaine just nodded.

His brother poured a glass for him and placed it in front of the empty chair, motioning him to take a seat. Blaine obeyed and took a sip of the dark red drink. As usual, it tasted delicious, almost holy.

“How did-” Blaine started to ask, but Cooper shut him up raising his finger.

“Shhh, my serving-maid is preparing me a bath, let’s wait for her to leave the room so we can talk privately.” He said, and Blaine just nodded. “Meanwhile, let’s enjoy this glass of our best wine.”

The two brothers drank their wine in peaceful silence and once the serving-maid was gone, Cooper started to talk. “Before you ask anything else, let me share something with you. You are not the only one who sneaks out of the palace.” He confessed.

“No?”

“No, I run away from these walls too, not as often as you do, but I do it sometimes.”

“Really?” Blaine asked intrigued.

“Yes, I don’t know how you’ve managed to do it so frequently because it's not easy. I always use the servant's door and sneak when they are delivering the food, but you seem to come and go from this place as you please.”

“I have my tricks.” Blaine confessed.

“I’ve noticed, but anyway...one day, in one of my strolls outside the palace I saw you at the Nixon’s Bakery eating like if there was no tomorrow with two young men. At first I was going to approach you, but then I saw how happy you were and I thought it was cute, so I decided not to do it.” Cooper said. “Well, because of that and because, unlike you, nobody in town knows that sometimes I'm there.”

“Why? I mean, someone must have seen you, right? It’s not like you can hide that face of yours from the world. It is not a secret that every girl in Bellezza and the entire Kingdom can sculpt your face in marble.” Blaine said, laughing a little.

“True, I’m too handsome not to be noticed, but every time I go to town I disguise myself. I dress like a bum and thus walk around the streets.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I’ve been doing that since I was sixteen, so if you ever hear the stories about the bum who walks through the canals smelling like expensive lotion and fine wine, that’s me.” Cooper said, laughing hysterically, and Blaine laughed along with him.

“Last night, when mother told me you were going to miss the whole ceremony because you were sick I got worried.” Cooper confessed.

“Don’t lie!” Blaine teased.

“I’m not lying, Lamb! I was truly worried, you’re my brother.” He said, smiling at him, and Blaine smiled back. “Naturally, I couldn’t come to check on you before the _sacrifici_ , you know how crazy our parents act just before the ceremony, but I went to your chambers before the fireworks. I know you love them and I wanted you to at least watch them from your balcony, but you weren’t there. I saw the pillows under your bed-covers and I instantly knew you had run away, and that you were probably enjoying the festivities with your friends.”

Blaine didn’t say a word and just looked down. His cheeks were the color of the wine he was drinking.

“Later, when all our guests were lost in conversation, and when I finally could get rid of Uncle’s Felix cousins, I went to the East wing balcony to take some fresh air and I saw you there…hmmm, you were dancing in the seashore with a boy.” He said.

Blaine felt exposed, but didn’t say a thing.

“At first I thought it was your friend, that blond boy from the Merchant’s store, but then I saw his face and I knew he was not from here. Who is he?”

“A guy from _Amerighi.”_

“Oh, well that explains his features and the color of his skin. Anyway, after some time mother called and before she could reach the balcony I went back to the Ball and locked the door behind me, so that nobody could see you and your friend.”

Blaine smiled warmly, genuinely touched by his brother’s gesture. But there was something going through his mind, so he asked. “Since when do you know I sneak out of the palace?”

“Hmmm, since maybe two years ago?” Cooper confessed.

“Why did you never tell me?”

“Because I liked to see you happy, and if you had known that I knew you would have been scared to go out again, so I decided to remain silent.”

“Then, why now?” Blaine inquired again.

“Because what you did yesterday was pretty risky, and if mother or father had discovered you, you would have gotten into a lot of trouble. So I want you to know that no matter what you want to do with your life, you can always, always count on me when something like this happens again. I can cover you, Blaine, but I need to know, okay? So that I can know what to do or what to say in case our parents discover your little game.” Cooper said.

Blaine smiled, and instead of replying he stood up, closed the small distance between them, and hugged his brother tightly.

Cooper smiled, but after like ten seconds of hugs, he said, “Okay, okay, Lamb. Enough with the hugging! Now tell me all about this boy. Is he your friend or what? Because I’ve never seen you dance like that with anyone before, you completely skipped the _bassa danze_ steps and went right to the _piacenza._ ”

Blaine smiled broadly. “His name is Kurt, and we met when I accidentally spilled some wine on his clothes last night, we talked for a little while, we watched the fireworks together and then I took him for a little walk. He’s visiting the city so I thought he would like to see some of the places.”

“Does he know who you are?” Cooper asked.

Blaine rolled his eyes. “Why does everyone ask me the same thing?”

“Because he could be some spy from the Smythe’s, Blaine, that’s why. You need to be careful to whom you reveal your identity, especially if they are strangers and you meet them when you’re not supposed to be in town.”

“Well, he’s not a spy and he doesn’t know who I am, but I’m going to tell him today. I agreed to meet him at the cathedral after the parade.”

“Are you sure?”

“Completely, I don’t want to hide who I am from him, I really like him.” He confessed.

“Well, in that case, good fortune.” Cooper said, placing his fingers in his forehead and doing the traditional good fortune sign.

“Thanks, and I should probably get going. I still have to sneak from here.” Blaine said, standing up. “Thank you for sharing all of that with me, Coop, and for never telling our parents. You’re the best brother in all Talia and surrounding countries.”

“I know...I’m pretty awesome.” Cooper said teasing, but Blaine could read behind the facade that his brother was pleased to hear that Blaine considered him the best brother in existence.

“Blaine!” Cooper exclaimed when Blaine was almost at the door. “Don’t worry about our parents today, they are probably going to rest all day, but in case they ask about you, I’ll tell them that you are outside practicing with your sword or something, just make sure to be here in time for dinner.”

Blaine smiled and opened the door. “Thanks, Coop! I will! It’s nice to know that you have my back. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime, Lamb, anytime…”

Blaine smiled and closed the door behind him. Now that he had a new ally in the palace, he could happily enjoy his time with Kurt.

 _‘Kurt...’_ He thought to himself, and suddenly he couldn’t wait to see those blue eyes again.


	7. Chapter 7

Kurt was seated at the small desk in his room, it was way past midnight and he was still trying to find a way to go back to Bellezza. He was trying to remember what he had done the previous day step by step to find the secret key that could lead him back to that magical city.

“I cried, took a shower, and wrote.” He said.

“The notebook!” He suddenly exclaimed.

Somehow it made sense that this strange object was the one connected to this amazing city. Thinking he had nothing else to lose, he decided to give it a try and write again.

“Maybe this works like the Tom Riddle's diary from Harry Potter.” He told to himself, opening the notebook where he had left off his writing, and scribbling a question.

 _"How do I get back to Bellezza?"_ He asked, but nothing happened.

Sighing, he decided to just immortalize his feelings like he had done the day before. This time he didn’t write about feeling worthless and humiliated, but about feeling hopeful and eager to find this place again, where he felt happy and safe.

He wrote and wrote, keeping all the memories from this wonderful place safe within the pages of his notebook. When he ran out of words, he started to draw the canals, the streets, the houses, the palace, and finally Blaine’s eyes—those hazel eyes that had captivated him. He tried to detail them as much as possible, but there was no way in heaven that a silly sketch could give those eyes justice.

Kurt smiled at his drawing and trailed his fingers across the thin piece of paper; if he concentrated hard enough he could actually see that sparkle that flashed through those hazel eyes every time their owner spoke.

Lost in the memories, Kurt’s eyelids started to get heavier, and resting his face against the notebook, he fell asleep.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt opened his eyes again when a cold wave of water wet his feet. Blinking repeatedly, he gasped in excitement. He was back, right where he had last been with Blaine. He looked around and immediately stood up. The sun was up and if his calculations were correct it was a little bit past noon.

“Odd.” He murmured. Back in his world it was a bit past midnight when he had fallen asleep, but he didn’t care. Day or night, odd or not, he was back and that was all that mattered.

“How?” He questioned himself, and it was only then that he noticed that the notebook was, once again, right there with him in this strange land.

He had managed to get back using the notebook although he still didn’t know how he had done it. He knew he had to find out how this notebook worked, but right now all he could think about was seeing Blaine again.

With a renewed energy, he walked out of the shore and tried to make his way back to the plaza. He didn’t know how to get there, but he remembered some of the streets Blaine had taken him through, and he was a smart guy...he knew he would find the way back there all by himself.

o-o-o-o-o

Some minutes later and lost in the passageways, Kurt had to admit that the city was more complicated than he originally remembered. The canals and the bridges all looked exactly the same and that made it even harder for him to remember which were the ones that he had crossed the day before. He was walking down some alley when a voice exclaimed his name, making him jump.

“Kurt!” Jeff yelled, quickly approaching him.

“Oh my God, Jeff! You scared me! Hi!” Kurt said, smiling. He was relieved to see a familiar face because that only meant that he had not imagined it all. This was real.

“You missed the parade!” The boy stated.

“I know, I overslept.” Kurt lied.

“Too much wine, huh?” Jeff teased, nudging his elbow against Kurt in a suggestive and knowingly way.

Kurt blushed. “Yeah, something like that.”

Jeff laughed and looked at Kurt with more detail. “Why are you wearing that?” He said, noticing Kurt’s clothes. Kurt was wearing his favorite pair of black skinny jeans and his Marc Jacobs’ blue cardigan.

“Where are the clothes I gave to you yesterday?”

“Hmmm…” Kurt trailed off. He didn't know where those clothes were. “They were dirty, so I used my own clothing.” He lied.

“Well, you can’t go around the city wearing those clothes. They are too weird and tacky.”

“Excuse me!? This is a Marc Jacobs’ fall collection cardigan, this is not tacky!” Kurt exclaimed a bit offended on behalf of Marc Jacobs.

“Who’s Marc Jacobs?” Jeff asked, genuinely confused.

For a moment Kurt had forgotten where he was when he had mentioned the designer of his cardigan. It was obvious that Jeff had no idea what he was talking about.

“No one, he’s the guy who hmmm...made this cardigan.”

“Oh!” Jeff exclaimed, looking again at Kurt’s attire. “You _amerighis_ wear very strange clothes, but never mind! I can lend you some more if you want. We could go to my house and look for some clothes that fit.” He suggested.

“That would be great, but hmmm...I’m kind of late, I told Blaine I would see him after the parade at the cathedral.”

“Oh, I see.” Jeff said, giving Kurt a playful wink.

“It’s not like that!” Kurt quickly stated.

“Yeah, right.” Jeff said, trying not to laugh. “And hmmm, the parade ended a while ago. I guess that he had enough time to come back here.” He said.

Kurt frown confused, but didn’t say a thing about that and just asked how to get to the cathedral. “Could you help me get to the plaza, I mean _piazza?_ I’m kind of lost. I feel like I’ve been just going in circles for way too long.”

Jeff laughed. “Yes, this city is tricky if you don’t know all the streets.”

"Yeah, I noticed. Blaine made it look so easy that I thought I could get there by myself.”

“That’s because he knows the streets better than anyone, but come, I’ll show you the way. I can’t go with you because as you can see,” he said, pointing to the empty cart. “I still have to fill this and take it to my father’s store, but I’ll show you the way.”

Kurt nodded in understanding, but Jeff continued. “Besides I don’t want to be the third wheel, you know?” He said laughing.

Kurt rolled his eyes and turned around to hide his blush.

“You’re blushing!” Jeff teased.

“Oh, shut up!” Kurt exclaimed. Apparently in this world there were also idiot friends who didn’t know how to remain silent when needed.

Jeff, still laughing, just shrugged and led the way, guiding Kurt through some streets until they reached a wide street.

“Just follow this street until you reach the _piazza_ , you’ll see the cathedral right in front of you.” He said.

“Thanks!” Kurt said excitedly and walking away. “See you later!” He yelled, before disappearing into the distance.

o-o-o-o-o

The Piazza Maddalena, unlike the previous day, was deserted. It was obvious to anyone who walked there that a huge celebration had taken place the night before, because the few people who were about were sweeping up and putting rubbish into bags—not plastic-bin bags, Kurt noticed—but more like sacks made of rough cloth.

The cathedral, as Jeff had said, was in front of him and Kurt just walked there and took a deep breath before opening the huge wooden doors and stepping in. He didn’t know why, but his stomach was twisting in anticipation with just the idea of seeing Blaine again.

Inside the hushed cathedral, Kurt let his gaze wander to the gallery that led to the altar. The nerved vaults with the amazing stained glasses flanking the central nave managed to take his breath away. It was all so magical that his mind had a hard time picturing everything as something real, and not some page ripped from a fairy-tale book.

“You came!” An excited voice exclaimed, and Kurt looked up. Blaine was making his way from a pew settled at the far end of the left nave.

“Blaine!” Kurt exclaimed, mirroring the boy’s excitement.

“I thought you wouldn’t come.” Blaine said, approaching Kurt.

“Sorry I’m late, I...hmmm, I didn’t know how to come back here so it took me a while.” He confessed. After all he wasn’t lying, he didn’t know how to come back from his world to this one.

“It’s fine, hmmm...I brought something for you.” Blaine said, handing him a leather bag.

Kurt opened it and inside there were some clothes, cotton shirts, jerkins, doublets, breeches, a dark velvet cloak, and a pair of boots. Kurt took a minute to appreciate the texture of the clothing. They looked as smooth as silk, and they were perfectly manufactured, not like the ones Jeff had lent him yesterday.

“I noticed you left the clothes Jeff gave you, so I figured you wouldn’t have Bellezzan clothes with you." Blaine said, as a matter of explanation.

 _'So, Blaine has the clothes.'_ Kurt thought to himself. One of the mysteries was solved, the clothes he had worn the previous day had stayed behind when he had gone back to his world and now Blaine had them.

"I should probably give them back to Jeff, though." Kurt said.

"Don't worry, we will give them to him later." Blaine said.

Kurt took out the cloak and almost squealed out loud. It not only looked like silk, but it felt like silk although Kurt knew it was made of velvet.

"Those are my brother's." Blaine informed. "I thought they’d suit you better because, well…he’s taller than me." Blaine said, as a matter of explanation.

Kurt smiled warmly and took out the cloak. It was beautiful, he tried it on and it fit perfectly. He started to take out the rest of the clothes, and in the blink of an eye he was transformed into a true Bellezzan.

"What do you think?" Kurt said, spinning around to show the attire.

Blaine was speechless, completely lost in the way Kurt looked, but he managed to articulate some words and reply. "Fantastic, hmmm you look fantastic."

"Thanks!" Kurt exclaimed. "I like these clothes, they are so elegant." He said, playing with the cloak and spinning again.

"You can keep them, if you want."

"No, your brother surely is going to miss them."

Blaine shook his head. "No, he won't. He has thousands of those."

"Anyway, I can't keep them. It's not right." Kurt said.

"Well, at least keep them for the time you're here. You can't be around the city wearing your own clothing. It's too-" Blaine trailed off.

"Tacky?" Kurt said, using the same description Jeff had used.

"No, in fact I don't find them tacky at all." Blaine confessed, and Kurt saw a flash of crimson going through the curly-haired boy’s cheeks. "But they are too hmmm...liberal to wear in here."

"Liberal?" Kurt asked curiously.

"Yeah, you know?" Blaine trailed off again. He looked nervous and Kurt found that adorable. "They don't have enough layers." He explained.

Kurt burst out laughing. "In my world-I mean land, in my land they say I use a lot of layers."

Blaine laughed slightly, but kept his eyes fixed on Kurt, making him blush. Blaine loved the sound of Kurt’s laughter.

"Stop looking at me like that." Kurt said, laughing nervously.

"Like what?" Blaine asked, but he knew exactly of what Kurt was talking about, and he didn’t have any intention to stop. He also loved the way Kurt's pale cheeks turned pink with just one look.

"Like that!" Kurt said, blushing harder and turning around to hide his flushed cheeks.

Blaine just laughed. “Okay, I apologize for my improper behavior.” He said, looking away.

Kurt tried not to laugh at Blaine’s way of speaking and tried to change the subject. “Where are we going today?”

“Hmmm, I want to take you to a special place, but first-” Blaine trailed off. His whole enthusiasm was suddenly gone, and Kurt noticed it immediately.

“But first, what?” He asked.

“Hmmm...” Blaine mumbled. He was trying to find the right words.

Kurt frowned, Blaine looked nervous and he couldn't help but ask why. "What's going on? I know you for less than 24 hours, but I can already tell that you're nervous. Is everything okay? What do you want to do first?"

Blaine exhaled deeply and took Kurt's hand. Kurt shivered a little with the contact, and if Blaine felt it, he didn't show any sign of discomfort.

"There's something I need to confess." He finally said.

"Okay…?" Kurt said as Blaine pulled him into one of the pews so they could sit.

Kurt felt terrified for a minute, Blaine's hands were sweating and he had his eyes fixed to the ground. He knew that whatever he had to confess was serious.

“Hmmm...yesterday, we didn’t talk much about me and there’s one thing you need to know before we continue with this hmmm...friendship.”

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“I’m a Prince.” Blaine said, without looking up.

Kurt frowned confused. “A Prince? Like the _‘I live in a castle surrounded by servants and dance in Balls with beautiful Princesses'_ kind of Prince?” He asked.

“Yes, minus the Princesses, I don’t like girls.” Blaine confessed.

Kurt stopped breathing. He wasn’t sure if he was more shocked with the fact that Blaine was a Prince or that somehow he had just admitted being gay.

“How?” Kurt whispered.

“How what?”

“How is it that you’re a Prince? From where?”

“From here...I’m the second son of Richard Anderson, King of the Anderson’s Kingdom, ruler of Bellezza.”

“What!?” Kurt asked stunned. “But-but yesterday you weren’t with the Royal family during the ceremony.” Kurt said confused.

“I know...I ran away from the palace. I pretended to be sick and then I sneaked out and came here.”

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to enjoy the festivities like any other Bellezzan.”

“Why?” Kurt asked again. He was trying really hard to understand.

Blaine started to explain why he had run away, who had helped him, and the reasons behind his behavior. He shared his frustrations and practically all that he had done since the first time he had left the palace and visited the main city. He told Kurt how he met Jeff and Trent, and how all the people in town knew who he was and yet, they had never treated him differently—or told his parents about it. He shared his fears about the alliances his family wanted him to make with the other Royal family of the Kingdom, and he also shared that sometimes he felt trapped within the walls of the palace, and although he loved his family and he knew the importance of his role with the people of the Kingdom, he also liked to have a normal life outside the whole Royal charade.

During all the explanation Kurt didn’t say a word. He just looked at him and listened carefully. He was looking at him intently and now all the pieces seemed to fit. Blaine was a Prince—a real Prince. And somehow it made a lot more sense, but what Kurt found strange was that somehow this fairy-tale Prince wanted to be friends with him, the lonely boy from Lima.

“Say something.” Blaine said. He had finished his explanation five minutes ago, and still Kurt hadn’t said a word.

“I don’t know what to say.” Kurt admitted. He was truly out of words.

“Are you mad?”

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” Kurt said honestly. “I’m just shocked...it’s hard to process that you’re a real Prince. I mean, you certainly looked like one, all dreamy and cute-” He bit his tongue when he noticed the blush on Blaine’s cheeks. “Did I say that out loud?” He asked.

Blaine just nodded.

“Sorry,” Kurt immediately apologized, “sometimes I voiced my thoughts, don’t mind me, okay? I’m just trying to process everything.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you yesterday, but as you can see if someone had known that I was in town and not in bed as the _dottore_ had instructed, I would have gotten myself in a lot of trouble, besides I wanted you to like me as Blaine, not as the Prince.” He admitted.

Kurt smiled warmly and whispered. “I do like you just as Blaine…and I don’t mind that you’re a rebel Prince.”

Blaine laughed, the hint of relief didn’t go unnoticed by Kurt, but he didn’t say anything.

“Are you still showing me the city, or do you have Royal duties?” Kurt teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Blaine laughed again. “You’re amazing, did you know that?”

Kurt just blushed and smiled warmly. It was the first time that someone complimented him and the fact that that person had been no other than Blaine, made it all even more special.

“There’s a special place where I want to take you. It’s not far from here, so it won’t take long to get there.”

“Okay...then, let’s go.” Kurt said, standing up and extending his hand to Blaine.

Blaine took it and they smiled at each other.

“Please lead the way, Your Highness.” Kurt teased again.

Blaine rolled his eyes and sighed. “Just because it’s you I won’t say anything, but just for the record, I hate when people call me, Your Highness. I’ve forbidden the use of that word in my presence.”

“Then how do the servants call you?”

“Blaine…just Blaine.” He said, smiling.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine led Kurt for some streets while they followed one of the canals. Like the day before, Kurt found himself amazed by the breathtaking beauty of the city. Kurt didn’t know Italian, but thanks to his research he knew that Bellezza meant _'beauty'_ and he couldn't think of a better word to describe this place.

“Close your eyes.” Blaine suddenly said.

Kurt closed them without hesitation and let himself be guided by Blaine. He trusted this man like he had never trusted anyone before. They walked and Kurt guessed that they had turned left, then right at some point, then left, right, left and right again, until they finally stopped.

“Here we are.” Blaine announced. “Open your eyes.”

Kurt opened his eyes and immediately stopped breathing. In front of him there was a lake city, well it was actually just a lake, but there was a structure coming out of the water—columns, arches, some walls and even a tower. The whole picture was surrounded by all kinds of vegetation, from small shrubs to large trees, with beautiful water lilies floating in the greenish water. It was magical.

“Oh my God!” Kurt whispered completely impressed by the place.

“It’s called _Abbazia Allagata_.” Blaine said, as a matter of explanation. “This place used to be a monastery back in the time of the third Anderson's monarchy. You remember the story I told you about the _sacrifici_ , right?”

Kurt just nodded; he couldn’t take his eyes off the landscape.

“Well, during the second flood, like the rest of the city, this place suffered terrible damage. After Rupert Anderson, my great, great, great, great, grandfather, made the _sacrifici_ , the water level began to drop from all the streets and buildings, except from this place. Nobody ever could explain why, but this is the only place that remained flooded until now. That’s why people call it the Abbazia Allagata or Flooded Abbey.”

“It’s beautiful.” Kurt whispered.

“It is indeed, though not many people like to come in here.” Blaine said.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a reminder of what could happen if the King didn’t offer his blood every year to prevent a new catastrophe, and coming here it's consider a bad omen. People are really superstitious around here.”

Kurt just nodded in understanding. “Can we sit there?” He asked, pointing to some stonewalls that emerged from the water.

“Sure.” Blaine said.

“This place is magical.” Kurt confessed, now that they were seated near the water.

“I know...it’s my favorite place in all Bellezza.” Blaine confessed.

Kurt smiled. “Thanks for sharing this with me.” He said, a genuine and sincere smile was spread across his face.

“You’re welcome.” Blaine said.

The looked into each others eyes for far too long, millions of unsaid words were going back and forth between them in this magical atmosphere. Time seemed to have frozen and just the changing colors in the sky were any indicator that the day was changing and soon it would turn into night.

o-o-o-o-o

When the sun started to set, Blaine took Kurt’s hand and helped him stand up, leading him to one of the remaining walls and helping him climb so that they could watch the sunset from a better view.

Kurt had never felt so light before, if Blaine hadn’t been holding his hand, he would have certainly flown up to the sky. The connection he had with the boy was so deep that he couldn’t even start to explain it to his own brain, so he just let himself get carried away and enjoy the moment.

“I like you.” Blaine confessed. The sky was a huge canvas of reds, pinks, and oranges all mixed together in the shape of a sunset.

“I like you too.” Kurt replied, giving Blaine’s hand a soft squeeze.

They didn’t need more words after that; everything that was left to say was already being said with looks, touches and smiles, so they both just enjoyed each other's company while they witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets that the city had ever seen before.

o-o-o-o-o

After their amazing time at the _Abbazia Allagata,_ Kurt and Blaine returned to the Piazza Maddalena and after promising to see each other again the next day, they both went in separate ways. Blaine returning to the palace since he had promised to be in time for dinner, and Kurt to the cathedral since that had been the first place where he had appeared in Bellezza and he wanted to test his theory.

Once inside the cathedral, Kurt took out his notebook and started to contemplate the sketch he had made of Blaine’s eyes. The 2D version of them didn’t come any closer to the real beauty of the original ones, but Kurt found himself smiling. Blaine had told him that he liked him and he was happy about that, but there was something clouding his mind. He hadn’t told Blaine that he was not from this world, and now he didn’t know how to do it.

“Maybe I should just come clean as he did.” He told to himself.

 _‘He’s going to think you’re crazy.’_ He thought. After all he just had his notebook to prove that he was not from this world, and no one who claimed to have a brain could believe such a crazy story.

The time passed, and Kurt started to feel very tired. Outside, the lights of the _piazza_ barely illuminated the street. Knowing what had happened with the clothes Jeff had borrowed him; Kurt removed the elegant clothes—that now he knew belonged to a Prince—and folded them carefully, hiding them behind one of the columns. If he managed to make his notebook to work again and his theory was right, he would have now some clothes waiting for him so he could dress up as a Bellezzan when he returned.

Not knowing what else to do, Kurt lay down in one of the pews and closed his eyes, holding his notebook tightly and thinking about the magical place he had visited and those hazel eyes that seemed to haunt him—in the best way possible—in both worlds.


	8. Chapter 8

Dinner time at the Anderson’s palace was always more family-like than many people might think. It was the only part of the day in which the Royal family had some time to really talk to each other. Since they were just kids, Cooper and Blaine had learned to love those dinners because it was the only time of the day that they had to see their parents as just mother and father, and not as the King and Queen of the Kingdom.

“You look very enthusiastic today, Blaine.” Richard Anderson pointed out, noticing that his son was practically bouncing in his chair.

“I’m happy.” Blaine confessed.

“What’s the source of that happiness, sweetheart?” Pamela asked curiously.

“I don’t know, I’m just happy.” Blaine lied. He knew he couldn’t tell his parents about Kurt, at least not yet.

“Well, you look delighted my dear and I like to see you happy, so whatever it is that has you so happy must be good.” Pamela said, and Cooper almost choked on his meal as he tried not to laugh.

Blaine panicked and gave his brother a warning look. Cooper nodded very slightly so that only his brother could notice it, and immediately started to chat with his parents.

“Father, I heard you’re planning on bringing great, great grandmother’s Catherine tomb to the family mausoleum, is that right?”

“Yes, son. But let’s not talk about duties and obligations while eating. It’s our rule, remember?”

“Yes, but I’m curious!” Cooper said, giving his father his _please-tell-me_ kind of smile.

Richard rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay, to sate your curiosity. We will start with the works in the following weeks, it’s going to be quite a challenge, since they have to bring the remains all the way from Classe. But since that city doesn’t belong to us anymore I thought it would be just right to bring your great, great grandmother’s remains to rest in peace with the rest of our family.” Richard said.

“We have to throw a Ball to celebrate that!” Pamela said excitedly. Her eyes lighted up with just the idea of throwing a Ball. She loved to host Balls at the palace.

“Definitely, my dear!” Richard said, looking at his wife with lovingly eyes.

Blaine took a moment to look at his parents; the story that Ray had shared with him was flashing through his mind as he smiled at them. Now that he knew how his parents had met and how much they loved each other, he couldn’t help but hope for the same thing for himself.

“So, what do you think, Lamb?” Cooper asked, bringing Blaine back to the table.

“About what? I’m sorry brother, I was distracted.”

“About doing the Ball in the courtyard instead of the Grand Salon.”

“Oh, that would be great!” Blaine exclaimed. “Ray could make those lamps he has on his terrace to illuminate the whole place! I bet it’s going to look incredible!”

“That’s exactly what I thought!” Cooper agreed. “And we could enjoy the fireworks without having to move from our seats and-” He was exclaiming excitedly when his father interrupted him.

“Not so fast, Cooper. I appreciate your enthusiasm and I think we all agree that doing this Ball in the courtyard instead of inside the Grand Salon could be a good idea for a little change, but first we need to add the niche for your great, great, grandmother and-”

“I could take care of that.” Cooper immediately said, interrupting his father. “I can coordinate everything so the niche is ready in let’s say...three weeks?”

Richard and Pamela looked at each other. They always made decisions as a team, something very unusual in royalty.

“Okay, fine.” Richard said, and Cooper clapped excitedly. “But you have to include your brother in the process.”

Cooper snorted and Blaine started to complain. “But-”

“But nothing Blaine, you have to take care of the family matters too.”

“Fine.” Blaine said.

“Good, now let’s finish our meal and we can continue this conversation at the library while we enjoy a well-deserved glass of wine.” Richard said, and with that the conversation about the great, great grandmother Catherine was over.

o-o-o-o-o

The library inside the palace was as magnificent as the rest of the rooms, but this was Richard’s favorite place in the entire palace. It was a two-story room with walls all covered with bookshelves and decorated with comfortable brown leather armchairs, small coffee tables and busts of all the previous Kings of the Kingdom. The dim light coming from the candlesticks in the walls gave the space the sense of comfort and warmth that Richard knew he needed at the end of a hard day of duties and responsibilities.

“You can go now, Arnold.” The King told his servant. The man was pouring three glasses of wine in one of the tables.

“Just three?” Blaine asked. “Isn’t Ray going to join us tonight?”

Raymond usually joined Richard, Blaine and Cooper for the after-dinner reunion. The four men usually talked about the latest events and affairs of the city, while they enjoyed Richard’s private wine collection.

“He’s busy doing some project, Blaine. This time we will only be the three of us.” He said.

Blaine smiled warmly and took a sip of his wine. He needed the alcohol to give him some nerve to voice what he wanted to say.

“Father…” He finally said.

“Yes, my son?”

“I would like to ask for your permission.”

“What for, my son?” Richard asked intrigued.

“Hmmm, to visit the city from time to time.”

“The city?”

“Yes, you know? Spend some time in town, meet new people, learn more things...just spend some time outside this place.” Blaine said.

Cooper’s eyes snapped open. He wasn't expecting his little brother to have the courage to ask for such thing. And he found himself secretly begging for his father to say yes, so he could use that permission too.

“You know that’s impossible, Blaine. You have responsibilities and duties here in the palace. So no, the answer is no.”

“Duties? Like what, father? Don’t get me wrong, but riding my horse, learning how to play the piano, practicing with a sword and reading old books about our family are not duties. I want more, this life we have-”

“Stop right there, young man!” Richard said, raising his voice a few octaves. “I understand that right now, due to your young age and immaturity, you don’t see those duties as something important, but one day you’re going to help your brother rule this Kingdom, or even rule a city on your own if the plans we have for you work out, and you’ll see that what we have taught you so far is going to help you in times of trouble. Being part of a Royal family is not an easy task, Blaine, but that’s the life you got.”

Blaine was about to fight back when Cooper raised his hand. “May I interfere, father?”

“Go on.” Richard said, motioning his other son to speak.

“Even though I agree completely with what you just said, father. I think that my brother also has a point. What you and mother have so amiably taught us all these years is way more than what we could have asked for, but don’t you agree that if one day I...well, I mean, _we_ , are going to rule this city, wouldn’t be appropriate for us to learn to know the people that one day are going to be our responsibility? Only understanding the people we are going to rule will lead us to be good rulers, father. Didn’t great, great, great, great grandfather Rupert used to say that _‘One man to live in pleasure and wealth, while all other weep and yearn for it, that is the part not of a king, but of a jailer?'_ ” He asked.

Blaine had never wanted to hug his brother like he wanted to do it in that moment. That comment had been a thrust of genius. He knew his father wouldn’t be able to refute that statement.

Richard stayed silent for some minutes; he was clearly looking for an answer. He looked back and forth between his two sons and exhaled defeated. “Fine, twice a month, but you’re not going alone. Raymond is going with you both.” He said.

“Twice a month?” Blaine immediately protested.

“Twice a month, young man, and thank your brother here for making a valid point. Now let’s get back to business. We need to talk about the silver cargo we’re going to receive this week and Blaine,” he said, looking at his youngest son, “you need to get more involved in that too.”

“Yes, father.” He replied politely, and then quickly glanced toward his brother and mouthed a soft, _‘thank you’._

Cooper winked at him, and the two brothers returned their attention to their father, who very quickly started to talk about Royal businesses, and they got lost in conversation.

o-o-o-o-o

Ray was still contemplating the set of mirrors he had hidden in his laboratory. Nobody, but Richard, knew about the existence of those artifacts since he hadn’t had to use them in a very long time. They were used just in case of emergencies, or when he needed to communicate or exchange opinions with his master. But now, with this constant pattern in all his card readings, he had had the urge to use them again. After reading one more time the cards, the dice and the glasses, he thought that he had begun to understand what the cards wanted to tell him, and he had a hunch.

Ray had been looking at the mirrors for quite some time and now he was sure about his suspicious. Frowning a little, he pulled the dark curtain and covered the mirrors again, hiding them from plain sight.

“Giacomo!” He yelled.

A young man wearing simple, and yet elegant, servants’ clothes walked into the room and made a quick bow. “Yes, master?”

“I need you to do something for me.” He said.

“Whatever you ask me, master.”

Ray walked toward one of the windows and looked into the distance. The cathedral was barely illuminated with the dim light of the half moon.

“I need you to bring someone here, to my laboratory, unnoticed.” He informed his servant.

“Okay, master…now?” Giacomo asked doubtfully.

Ray turned around to face his servant. “No, tomorrow. Meet me right here when the sun is out and I’ll give you precise instructions.”

“Yes, master.” Giacomo said.

“Now you can go, and don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

“Don't worry, master.”

“Good, now go.” He said, shaking his hand to let his servant know that he wanted to be alone.

Once his servant was gone, Ray let himself fall into a chair and exhaled loudly. The pieces of this puzzle they were living were starting to fit and now he knew he had to be more cautious. Not only the Royal family was in danger, but his entire brotherhood too—including the apparent newest member.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine was lying in his bed with his head resting in both his arms while he looked at the ceiling. His eyes were fixed on the impressive vault, but his mind was somewhere else. He was back in the _Abbazia Allagata_ with Kurt. He was so lost in his memories that he didn’t listen when Ray entered his room.

“Blaine!” Ray exclaimed, making the boy jump.

“By the lady, Ray! You startled me!” Blaine exclaimed, trying to catch his breath.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to know how your day had gone. We didn’t have time to talk after the parade and then you disappeared. Fill me in, I want to know everything.” He said, taking a seat on Blaine’s bed.

“First,” Blaine said, “you need to know that Cooper knows what I did yesterday.”

“What!? Why?”

“He came here before the fireworks started and saw the pillows. I talked to him and it turns out that he has known about my sneaks out of the palace for two years now.”

“Really?”

“Yes, did you know that he sneaks out too?” Blaine asked the old man.

“I suspected, sometimes he said he was riding and I always found his horse tied to a tree, but I wasn’t sure.”

“Well, he does it, though not as frequently as I do. He told me he sneaks out when the servants receive the monthly food supplies.”

“Did you tell him about the secret passageways?” Ray asked alarmed.

“Of course not! He doesn’t know how I do it, and he will never know. I know my brother and he’s not exactly the most careful man in Bellezza. I know that if he knew about the passageways we would be discovered sooner or later.”

“Yes,” Ray admitted, “he’s very careless. But I’m glad he didn’t tell your parents.”

“I’m glad too, in fact he told me he could cover me the next time.” Blaine said smiling.

“Well, that’s good to know. Now you have another ally in this palace.”

“That’s exactly what I thought.” Blaine confessed.

“And, how was your day with your new friend? Kurt, right?”

“Yes, and it was fantastic! And before you say anything else, let me tell you that he’s not some spy that the Smythe's put here to try to kill us as Cooper suggested, he’s just a-”

“Cooper knows about him?” Ray asked, a hint of concern flashed through his eyes.

“Yes, he saw us dancing near the palace, but that doesn’t matter! What matters is that I’m one hundred percent sure that Kurt’s not some kind of spy or anything he’s just a-”

“I know he’s not a spy.” Ray interrupted.

“You know?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Ray exhaled and gave Blaine a sweet smile. “Don’t forget that my job is to take care of the crown, Blaine. It’s my duty to know those things.”

“Do you know who the spies are?” Blaine asked curiously.

Ray nodded. “Some of them yes, but that’s information you don’t need to know.” He said, despite the expression of disappointment that the boy gave him. “Now, tell me what did you do with this Kurt boy? Did you have fun? Did you tell him who you are?”

“Yes I had fun, and yes I told him.”

“And? What did he say?”

“He was shocked, but he doesn’t mind. He likes me, Ray! He really likes me! And just as Blaine!” Blaine said excitedly.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Ray said, smiling warmly at the young boy. He liked to see him happy, but he was afraid that his happiness could end at any time. Now that he was starting to understand what his cards wanted him to know, he was sure that Blaine was getting himself into a lot of trouble—that they were getting themselves into a lot of trouble.

“I took him to the _Abbazia Allagata_ and-” Blaine said, and that comment brought Ray back to reality.

“You took him there?”

Blaine nodded excited. He was bouncing on the bed like a little kid.

“Well, if you took him there, this friendship must be something very serious. If I recall correctly it took you almost two years to take Jeff and Trent there.”

“He’s special, Ray. Don’t ask me why, but he is…he’s very, very special.” Blaine confessed, and Ray didn’t need to actually ask him why because the spark in Blaine’s eyes was giving him away. And he didn’t even want to talk about his smile, because Blaine’s smile reminded him of Richard’s when he had first met Pamela.

 _‘Oh boy...we’re so doomed.’_ Ray thought to himself, but gave Blaine a sweet smile.

Even though he knew that this path that they were taking was dangerous, he was willing to help the boy to be happy. After all, _who was he to deny this boy his happy ending?_

“And? Are you two seeing each other again soon?” He asked.

“Yes!” Blaine replied excitedly. “Tomorrow, actually.”

“But tomorrow you have your riding and piano lessons, Blaine.” Ray informed, matter of factly.

“I know, but I’ll see him afterwards. I’ll meet him at the bakery.”

“Where is he staying?” Ray suddenly asked.

Blaine remained silent for a minute. He hadn’t asked Kurt about that. He had been so distracted with the thought of showing him the entire city that he had forgotten to even ask him where he was staying. _‘What if he doesn’t have a place to stay?’_ He thought, and panic went through his veins.

“You don’t know, do you?”

Blaine shook his head. “I hadn’t thought about that until now, I just assumed he was staying at some of the town taverns.”

“I’m sure he’s there.” Ray tried to reassure him, but that information only confirmed his already confirmed suspicions.  

“Yes, I’ll ask him tomorrow anyway.” Blaine said. “By the way! I almost forgot!”

“What?”

“I followed your advice and asked father permission to visit town. At first he said no, but then Cooper helped me and he allowed us to visit it twice a month, but only if you go with us.”

“That’s great, right? At least it’s a start, have you two decided when are you going to make your first official visit?”

“No, I’ll probably talk to my brother tomorrow after dinner and I’ll let you know.”

“Perfect,” Ray said standing up from the bed, “I’ll go to my chambers, I still need to write a quick letter to consult some matters with my master.”

“Doctor Lombardi?”

“Yes, I haven’t talked to him in a while and I need his advice for some-” he hesitated, “-for some science project." He lied. "Have a great night kid and I’ll see you tomorrow.” The man said, quickly disappearing behind the secret door.

Blaine shrugged a little bit confused; he had noticed Ray’s nervousness, but decided to ignore it and just go to bed. He wanted to be fresh and well rested to be able to spend some quality time with Kurt. His riding lesson always exhausted him, but now he would have to find a way to convince his teacher to let him have more than one break, if not, he would be very tired by the time he got to see Kurt.

“Kurt…” He whispered, and with that last thought, he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I'll try to update by the end of this week. I promise. The next couple of chapters explain how the time/space travel stuff works and all those details, so I think those are going to help to better understand the story. See you soon!!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised here's the new update, these chapters explain the whole time/space traveling so let's see if you guys like it.

Kurt was seated in front of the huge plasma in the living room, writing down all his memories from Bellezza in his notebook when Finn arrived home. Kurt glanced to the wall clock, _10:07 am_ ,  and rolled his eyes playfully.

"Hi, bro!" Finn said, making his way inside the house.

"Hi, Finn! How was the party? Did you have fun? " He asked, immediately closing his notebook and placing it on top of the coffee table.

"Yeah, I did, it was-" Finn was saying when he noticed the two dark circles under his brother's eyes. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.

"Yes, why?"

"Because you look awful man, your face is paler than usual and you have two huge dark circles under your eyes." Finn said. "Did you sleep at all?"

"Yeah..." Kurt said, turning around feeling suddenly exposed. Like if his brother could see through him and know that he was lying. "It took me a while, but I did sleep. But tell me about the party. Our parents will be here soon and you won’t be able to share all the details, so go on." He said, trying to change the subject.

Fortunately for Kurt, Finn didn’t inquire any further about his apparently terrible appearance, and took a seat next to him and started to share all the details about the party. Kurt paid attention for some minutes, but somewhere between, _"...and then Santana slapped Quinn,"_ and _"Rachel threw up,"_ he closed his eyes, and eventually fell asleep.

o-o-o-o-o

When Burt and Carole arrived to the house, Finn immediately put down his video game controller and ran to the door. His parents were just crossing the threshold when he said, "Shhhh don't make a lot of noise. Kurt is asleep in the living room."

Burt frowned worried. His son never, ever, took naps, not even when he was just a baby. "Is he sick or something?" He asked worriedly.

"No, he's-" Finn hesitated a little, "he's just tired, we went to a party last night and we didn't sleep much." He lied.

"Kurt went to a party?" Burt asked, even more impressed for that than for the fact that his son was sleeping in the middle of the day.

"Yeah, Puck invited us and although he didn't want to go at first, I convinced him." Finn lied again.

"I'm glad you two are having fun together as brothers, but he didn't get drunk, did he?" Burt asked.

Finn immediately shook his head. "No, he was the designated driver. You know Kurt, he doesn’t like alcohol.”

“And you?” Burt asked knowingly.

“Hmmm, I admit I drank a couple of beers, but didn't get drunk either." He said, before his parents could scold him.

"Are you sure?" Carole asked, knowing her son too well to tell when he was lying.

"Totally, mom. Now let me help you guys with your luggage." He said, to quickly get away from that conversation.

Finn helped his parents to go to their room and unpack their things. The three were lost taking out the clothes in awkward silence until Finn said, "And, how was the event? Did you guys have fun?"

"Yeah, we did, but we're starving. Did Kurt cook something?" Burt asked, putting the last dirty shirt on the laundry bin.

"No, we crashed last night and ate yesterday's leftovers this morning, so we don't have food. But I could order a pizza. It's Sunday and that means that it's unhealthy food-day." Finn said, matter of factly.

Every now and then, mainly on Sunday's, the Hummel-Hudson’s didn't eat the healthy food Kurt insisted they had, and just bought some fast food and watched TV all day while they enjoyed some ice cream tubs.

"Pizza sounds great." Burt admitted.

"But-" Carole was about to complain, when Finn interrupted.

"Come on, mom! You love pizza! One or two slices every now and then are not that bad. Besides, Kurt is the one who's always complaining and he's asleep. By the time pizza is here, he won't be able to resist. He's a pizza addict like the rest of us."

Carole smiled and just nodded. "Okay go and order some pizza, and make sure it has double cheese. If we're going to eat unhealthy food, we're doing it properly."

Finn laughed, and practically ran from the room to order the pizza.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt started to wake up when he felt a hand poking him gently. He frowned a little disoriented and very slowly opened his eyes. Finn was looking at him from over the couch’s arm.

“Hi there...hmmm, sorry to wake you bro, but it’s time to eat.” He said.

Kurt yawned and stretched his arms. “When did I fall asleep?”

“When I was telling you all about the party.”

“Sorry.” Kurt admitted. He hadn't intended to fall asleep, he had wanted to hear all about the party, but tiredness had taken over him.

“It’s okay, you needed some sleep, come on, let’s go to the kitchen.” He said, helping Kurt to stand up.

“How long did I sleep?”

“Four hours or so.” Finn said nonchalantly, but Kurt panicked.

“Why did you let me sleep so long? Did my dad and Carole arrive yet? Where are they?”

“Relax! They are upstairs and will be here any minute now.” Finn said, hearing some steps on the upper floor. “By the way! I lied and told Burt you had come to the party with me.”

“Why?” Kurt asked confused.

“You know why.” Finn said, rolling his eyes.

“No, I don’t,” Kurt admitted. He didn’t understand why his brother had lied about Kurt being at the party, it’s not like he would tell to his parents that his brother had arrived until today. He knew about the brother’s code.

Burt and Carole walked down the stairs and Finn just whispered. “Later.” leaving Kurt more confused.

“Where’s the pizza?” Burt said, rubbing his belly in anticipation.

“Pizza?” Kurt asked.

“It’s Sunday, Kurt, today we’re allowed to eat greasy pizza. Besides, you were asleep, and Carole and I just arrived, we weren’t going to cook.”

“Okay, okay!” Kurt said, and walked with his family to the kitchen where two big pizzas were waiting to be devoured.

They ate and spent the whole day catching up with their weekly activities while watching movies and eating ice cream. Kurt was trying to pay attention to his family, but his mind was somewhere else, in a place with canals, fancy clothes and Blaine.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt considered it was dark enough to call it a night, he excused himself and went to his room to _‘sleep’_ telling his parents that he needed to rest because tomorrow he had school. He quickly said goodnight, grabbed his notebook from the coffee table where he had left it, and ran upstairs.

He took a quick shower, put on some not very flashy clothes and lay down in bed.

“Okay, I don’t know how you work, but take me back to Bellezza, okay?” He said out loud, holding the notebook and closing his eyes tightly. He knew that all the times that he had been able to go to this amazing city, he had been asleep with the notebook in his hands or touching some part of his body. So now there he was, trying to repeat the feat.

It took him forever to fall asleep, but after two hours or so, he finally drifted away.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt opened his eyes and was in the exact same pew where he had fallen asleep the last time he had been in Bellezza. As he was expecting, it was a bright new day in the city and the sun was illuminating the whole cathedral. His theory was right, he could travel back and forth between his world and Bellezza using the notebook. Now he knew that he just had to fall asleep holding it and he would appear in the exact same spot where he had traveled the last time.

He stood up quickly and went to look for his Bellezzan clothes. They were exactly where he had left them, so he changed in the blink of an eye and practically ran to the door. He wanted to see Blaine, but they had agreed to meet after noon when Blaine’s piano lessons were over, so now he had some time to explore the city by himself and maybe go and visit Jeff and Trent. He liked them, and more friends were always good. Especially for someone like him, who in his world could count his real friends with the fingers of just one hand.

When Kurt stepped out into the plaza, a tall and young man, dressed in a black robe pulled him out of the way.

“Quick!” He hissed. “You’re in danger.” He said, and without waiting for a reply, led Kurt by the elbow out of the way, across the streets and down to one of the canals landing stages, where a sleek black _gondole_ was moored. He bundled Kurt into the boat, then skillfully turned it in mid-canal and set off at an impressive pace.

“Where are we going?” Kurt asked, not sure if he was being rescued or kidnapped. As with his past experiences in Bellezza, he found himself just going with the flow. It was easier that way anyway.

“To the laboratory.” The man said shortly. “My master is expecting you.”

“Who’s your master?” Kurt asked confused.

“You’ll meet him in just a moment.”

Since he could make nothing of this, Kurt remained silent until the _gondole_ glided to a halt by a landing stage that must have been somewhere near the seashore where he had found himself dancing with Blaine two days before. He could see the palace’s towers and high walls quite close.

“Is the laboratory near the palace?” Kurt questioned. He didn’t know why, but even though this situation was weird, he wasn’t afraid. This man didn’t look like the kind of man who kidnapped people, and the fact that he was near the palace gave Kurt that feeling of security he felt whenever he was near Blaine.

“Something like that.” The man said vaguely.

The man stopped the _gondole_ and made Kurt climb down to later guide him up some marble steps, straight off the canal, and through some heavy wooden doors which seemed to be hidden behind what looked like a waste disposal.

It was dark inside the tunnel, or room, or whatever it was, and Kurt stumbled, having trouble adjusting his vision after the bright sunlight on the canal.

“Where are we?” He asked whispering. He didn’t know why, but he had the feeling that somehow he had to remain silent.

“We’re taking a shortcut to enter unnoticed.” The man informed him, and continued leading the way.

They climbed a lot of stairs and Kurt was sure they must be at the top of the building. The man stopped by a thick dark wooden door and knocked before thrusting Kurt through it in front of him.

Kurt stood on the threshold, trying to understand what he was seeing. It was a mixture of a workshop, a chemistry laboratory and a library. It didn’t quite have a dinosaur skeleton hanging from the ceiling, but one certainly would have looked right at home there. It was filled with leather-bound books, shelves full of jars, and glass bottles containing colored liquids and nameless objects. There were huge globes and a weird collection of metal circles on a stand. And a model of the solar system, which Kurt was sure it was moving.

In the corner, by a large window with a low sill, sat a man dressed in black velvet. His clothes looked expensive and Kurt immediately knew he was someone important, though this had less to do with how he was dressed than his own aura. He had silver hair and he was tall and thin. He sat hunched in his armchair like a hawk roosting. But there was nothing frightening about the man, in spite of his air of controlled power.

The man told his servant, Giacomo, that he could go and Kurt heard the door close heavily behind him.

“Welcome,” the man said. His eyes were glittering with excitement. He looked as if he might rub his hands together with glee. “I've been expecting you.” He said, and Kurt just looked at him confused.

“My name is Raymond Armati, Royal advisor and-”

“Royal advisor?” Kurt asked, and suddenly he remembered Blaine mentioning some Signor Armati guy. He was sure that this Raymond must be the same man.

“Yes, I’m sure Blaine already told you about me.”

“Yes, but I don’t understand, what am I doing here? Where are we?”

“Hmmm, this is my laboratory and we’re in the palace, I brought you here because I’ve been expecting you for some time. Although I didn’t know when you were going to arrive.”

Kurt frowned even more confused. This man wasn't making any sense.

Raymond noticed the confused expression in the boy’s face and so, he continued speaking. “You’re not from this world, right?” The man said and with that Kurt stopped breathing.

 _‘How did he know?’_ He thought, but didn’t have a clue. “How-how do you know?” He asked doubtfully, voicing his thoughts.

“I know a lot of things, Kurt.” The man said.

Kurt frowned yet again. “Look, Raymond. I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but could you be more clear? I’m genuinely confused. I don’t even know exactly how I got myself here. Or even why.”

“I’m sorry, you’re right. I can’t tell you why you’re here, but I can help you figure out how. By now, you must have worked out it has something to do with the notebook you have,” Raymond said, “I mean, you’ve done it three times now, right?”

“Yes, but-” Kurt stopped. _How did this man know about the notebook and how did he know it had happened three times?_ It had taken him a lot of hours back at home to try to figure out everything and learn that the key to come back was falling asleep with the notebook in his hand—and he had been reluctant to believe it was that easy. And also there was the fact that he had put the notebook back in his pocket before the strange man—Giacomo—had dragged him out of the cathedral, and it was still there now, although hidden under his borrowed Bellezzan clothes. There was no way Raymond could have seen the notebook.

“I didn’t know it was you the one I was expecting,” Raymond continued, “but I knew it was you when I saw you at the cathedral yesterday.”

“I didn’t see you there.” Kurt said. He had been at that cathedral twice the day before, one time with Blaine and the other one alone, and in neither of those times he had seen this man there.

“I wasn’t there to be seen.” Raymond said, simply.

He stood up and motioned Kurt to follow him to a dark corner of the room, where a black brocade curtain hung on the wall. When Raymond pulled it back, Kurt wasn’t sure at first what he was looking at. He would have said it was a bank of television screens, except that that thought sounded modern and high tech and this place was anything but modern.

Six small oval mirrors, ornately framed in what might have been ebony, showed moving pictures of scenes, some of which Kurt recognized. There was the Piazza Maddalena and the bridge in front of the palace, something that might have been the interior of the great cathedral and three other places, all richly decorated rooms, which he didn’t know, but which were obviously Bellezzan.

Under them was a complicated collection of knobs with knurled edges and brass levers aligned with what looked like signs of the zodiac, though some of them were new to Kurt. He remembered Blaine talking about the twelve constellations, so probably those were the signs, but he gave up trying to understand. It was easier really to go back to thinking of Bellezza as a dream.

Raymond pointed to the mirror, which showed the cathedral, and Kurt realized how he had been seen the day before. The mirror was like a security camera. It showed the place in live stream. He contemplated the mirror fascinated. This was like magic, the frame was showing a tiny man making his way to the altar and kneeling in front of the presbytery to start praying.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall,” Kurt said, laughing at his own joke. Raymond looked at a loss.

“Magic.” Kurt said, as a matter of explanation.

“Not at all,” Raymond said, with an expression of distaste, “science!”

Kurt shrugged. “So, that’s how you saw me?” He asked. “But, how did you know I was the person you were expecting? Is it because I don’t look Bellezzan?”

Raymond scanned his face hard. “You really don’t know, do you?” He said, and Kurt shook his head.

“Come with me and I’ll show you something.” The man said.

He strode over to the terrace, opened the doors and swung his long legs out over the sill. Kurt was startled with the view of the city, until he realized that he was standing in some sort of what he could call a roof garden, but that probably in here was just a terrace.

Raymond beckoned and the boy followed him out.

It was an oasis in the heart of the palace. But Kurt saw immediately that it took up more space than it should have done. It covered an area much larger than the space of the terrace they were standing on. It stretched away into the distance and Kurt swore he could see peacocks at the far end.

Huge pots held full-size trees and there were flowers everywhere, filling the air with their heavy scent. In the middle of the garden a fountain played with streams of colorful lights that seemed to come from nowhere—more _science_ , Kurt thought. Most of the garden was shaded with the long branches of the trees and there was even a hammock slung between two orange trees, but close to the stone balustrade that enclosed it, the sun beat down on a tiled open area.

Raymond stood in the sunshine and waited for him. When Kurt came up to him, he took the boy gently by the shoulders and encouraged him to look down.

“What do you see?” He asked.

Kurt looked first through the balustrade at the incredible beauty of Bellezza, its silver spires and bell-towers dazzling against the blue sky, but Raymond didn’t mean that. He directed Kurt’s gaze on to the tiles, with their intricate astronomical patterns. Just the sort of floor you’d expect a magician to have, Kurt thought.

And then he saw what he was meant to see. At their feet, stretched out, there was a black silhouette of only one figure.

“I have been waiting for someone without a shadow.” The man said, and Kurt stopped breathing.


	10. Chapter 10

Time seemed to have stood still on the terrace—or at least slowed to a sluggish trickle. Kurt was still staring at where his shadow should have been with shock. Raymond had gone back inside and now came out holding two glasses of a sparkling blond drink.

“Prosecco,” he said, “you’ve had a shock.”

Kurt started to say that he didn’t drink, but then realized he was very thirsty and had no idea what the water was like in this city. Where he might be was one thing, but the time he was in was clearly not the twenty-first century and all the city’s beauty could not disguise the bad smell coming off the canals.

He drank the prosecco. It was cold and a bit sharp and to Kurt’s limited taste, quite wonderful. Giacomo, the man who had brought him from the cathedral, had followed Raymond out of the terrace, with the bottle in one hand and a tray in the other, laden with untidy ham sandwiches. Kurt discovered he was ravenous despite having eaten half a pizza all by himself back at home.

He ate three sandwiches and drank two glasses of the sparkling wine before he asked Raymond any of the questions crowding his mind. The silver-haired scientist, or magician, or whatever he was, sat in companionable silence while Kurt finished his meal, though he ate nothing himself.

“Feeling better?” He asked, noticing the empty tray.

“Yes, thanks.” Kurt said.

He put his glass down on the small table beside him and stretched, taking conscious note of how each limb, each muscle felt. There was no tiredness, no weakness, no aches. It might have just been the wine, but he felt energy coursing through him even when he technically hadn’t slept for two days straight.

Raymond was smiling. “Tell me about yourself and your life in the other world.”

“You don’t know then?” Kurt asked. He had assumed Raymond must be a powerful all-knowing sort of magician.

“Only where you must have come from and approximately when,” Raymond answered, “nothing about you personally, Blaine hasn’t exactly shared anything about you yet. He just gushes about your apparently incredible personality.” He said, and Kurt blushed.

“I don’t know what you want to know.” He said.

“Everything!” Raymond exclaimed, with just a hint of a smile.

“Hmmm, well...in my real life, I’m very miserable. I have a lovely family and everything, but I’m very lonely and having a lot of problems at school. People seem to enjoy making fun of me all the time because well, I’m different.” He said.

“Different, how?” Raymond asked confused.

“Well, for a lot of things, my appearance, my voice, my clothes, but mainly because I like boys the way I’m supposed to like girls.” He said, knowing from his short experience in the city that apparently that was not an issue in this place.

“Oh, is that a problem in your world?” Ray asked stunned.

“Yeah, a big one, especially in the town where I live. They are very conservative so being hmmm...gay is considered a sin. And there’s this one guy at school who’s giving me a very hard time. He’s always harassing me and last week, he even threatened to kill me.” He confessed, and started to share all his life experiences with the gray-haired man.

Raymond was leaning forward, listening carefully to every word. He spent the next hour questioning Kurt about every detail of his ordinary life, even quite trivial things like what his family ate at mealtimes and where they did their shopping. His dark eyes glittered at Kurt’s descriptions of quite mundane things like grocery stores, the choir room, football games. Even pizza, which Kurt assumed he would know all about, caused Raymond’s brow to wrinkle in puzzlement.

“A round flat bread with cooked tomatoes and cheese on top?” He asked. “Are you sure?”

Kurt smiled. “Or pepperoni, ham, chicken, meat, or even beans, for all I know. Anything goes these days.”

Raymond looked blank. “We do not have those things you mention in Bellezza. Are they good to eat?”

“Yes—some of them—but not necessarily on a pizza,” Kurt said.

Raymond leaned back in his chair and stretched, cracking his knuckles.

“Now it’s your turn.” Kurt said. “Tell me about Bellezza, about the Kingdom, about the other ones, about Talia.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything!” Kurt gestured around him. “I don’t understand any of it. Blaine has explained me a few things, but I want to know more. For example, why am I here and why don’t I have a shadow, and why were you expecting someone like me? The guy who brought me here said I was in danger.”

Raymond got up and walked over to the stone parapet. He looked out over the silver roof of the cathedral. Then he turned and gazed at Kurt.

“To answer your questions, I have to start further back. Some time ago, a traveler came from your world to mine. It was hundreds of years ago in your time, though not in mine. He was the first to discover the secret, the first member of the brotherhood I belong to. He was the first _itinerante_.”

“What’s that?” Kurt asked.

“A wanderer. For us, a wanderer between worlds. He was a powerful scientist from your world. You may have heard of him. His name is Edward Lombardi.” Raymond paused and looked hopefully at Kurt, who just shook his head.

“Ever since Doctor Lombardi made that first journey,” Raymond continued, “there have been _itineranti_ working on the principles by which such journeys are made. It is a difficult work and sometimes dangerous. As time has gone by, we have discovered the risks of crossing from one side to the other.”

“Like in this show that my brother likes, Star Trek,” Kurt said, and noticed immediately that he was going to have to explain himself further. “It’s a TV show about the future. They must never tamper with the time-space continuum or there are terrible consequences. And they must never interfere with alien cultures. That’s the Prime Directive.” He explained.

“I do not understand most of that,” Raymond said, slowly, “but the spirit sounds right. Every journey between your world and ours is fraught with hazards and is not to be undertaken lightly. It can be done only by those who have studied the science of the _itineranzza_ and have familiarized themselves with its pitfalls and restraints.”

“Hang on,” Kurt said, “I haven’t done any of that. I just held the notebook one day and fell asleep thinking about the city. Only the first time it wasn’t Bellezza. I was thinking about Venice, which I think is like Bellezza in my world.”

“Ve-nice,” Raymond repeated, thoughtfully. “It doesn’t sound like a Bellezzan or even a Talian word, but I have heard it before. It was what Doctor Lombardi called our city.”

“Anyway, I haven’t done any of that training you said.”

“And yet you are a _itinerante,_ ” Raymond stated. “And that puts you in great danger here.”

“Why?” Kurt asked, a little disappointed. He thought this place was his safe haven, but apparently he was in danger in both worlds. “You haven’t really explained me why I’m here at all.”

“It is very hard for you to understand,” Raymond said, pacing the terrace, “I don’t claim to understand it all myself and yet I have been studying this science for years. You say you _‘held the book’_. May I see it?”

A little reluctantly, Kurt drew the book from the pocket of his real clothes, which he still wore under his Bellezzan clothes, and handed it to Raymond.

The man held it reverently, like a Bible, turning it in his hands. “Do you know where this came from?” He asked.

“My dad found it in some antique store in Columbus, _La Sorte_ or something like that.” Kurt explained.

“No. Whatever that means, it did not come from there. It was made in the workshop of my brother Rodolfo, here in Bellezza.”

“Then how did it get to Lima, to my world?”

“I took it there myself.”

Kurt gasped. “You’ve been to my world?”

“Of course,” Raymond replied. “did I not tell you I'm a _itinerante_ too?”

The thought of Raymond striding around Kurt’s world in his black velvet clothes made him smile. But he’d probably just be put down as an aging hippy and not raise an eyebrow; people would assume he’d wandered over from some mental hospital, not another dimension.

Raymond handed the notebook back to Kurt. “Look after it. Don’t show it to anyone else. There are those who would take it from you.”

“But why?” Kurt asked. “What good would it do them?”

“It might help them to discover the secret of travel to your world. More importantly, if you lost it, you wouldn't be able to get back.” Raymond said, gravely.

“Who do you mean?” Kurt inquired. “Other _itinerantes?”_

“ _Itineranti,_ ” Raymond corrected him. “When you’re talking about more than one _itinerante_ it’s _itineranti_. And, no. Even if someone else’s talisman fell into his hand a true member of the brotherhood would not take such a shortcut. But we have enemies. People who would like to plunder your world and bring its magic here.”

“Magic?" Kurt asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice. “There’s no magic in my world. It’s completely ordinary.”

“And yet you can move large numbers of people in metal boxes under the ground and on the ground and even above the ground!” Raymond said with awe. “You have machines you can talk into to order your dinner and other machines to bring it to you. You have many ways of communicating with people miles away from you and reading books in libraries in other countries. Is not all of that magic?”

“No,” Kurt replied, “I understand why it seems that way to you, because you haven’t got things like airplanes and the Internet and phones. But they’re not magic—they’re inventions. You know, technology—science.”

Raymond seemed unconvinced. “What I do in my laboratory is science,” he said, “but let's pass that. It is your kind of science, which I would call magic, that the Smythe’s are after.”

“The Smythe’s,” Kurt repeated, “are they your enemies?”

Raymond nodded. “ _Our_ enemies." He corrected. "They are one of the oldest families in the Kingdoms of Talia besides the Anderson’s. A big family, always marrying and breeding. Five city-states in this Kingdom are ruled by them as dukedoms or principalities. And they won’t rest until they rule them all and steal the crown from the Anderson’s. Even the Pope is one of them.”

“The Pope? You have a Pope?” Kurt asked, surprised.

“Of course,” Raymond exclaimed, “every Kingdom had its Pope. Don’t you have one? Ours rules, technically, in Remora. But his older brother, Rinaldo Smythe, is really in charge.”

“What would they do if they got into my world?”

“If they got not only into your world but into your time,” Raymond explained, “they would bring back all kinds of magic—cures for illnesses, spells to make inanimate objects move, mystical weapons which can kill and aim from long distances away... Do I have to go on?”

“And the _itineranti_?” Kurt asked. “What do they do? They don’t take any of those things, do they?”

“No, they—or I might say _‘we,’_ since you are now one of us, whether you like it or not—do not bring anything from your world to ours except what ensures a safe return. We have become guardians of the secret of this kind of travel. Ever since Doctor Lombardi made that first journey by accident, it has needed someone to watch over any comings or goings between worlds.”

Kurt frowned. “Hang on. There’s something I don’t follow. I mean all of it, really, but didn’t you say this doctor was from hundreds of years ago in my world?”

“Yes, the sixteenth century. He came from London, from the time of the Queen Elizabeth.”

“There’s a new one now,” Kurt said, he knew a lot about royalty from his world. “Queen Elizabeth the Second. So if he came from that time and you all wear these old-fashioned clothes, is this the sixteenth century?”

Raymond nodded sighing. “It is, and that is exactly why the Smythe’s are so eager to get their hands on your twentieth-century magic.”

“Twenty-first now,” Kurt corrected him absentmindedly. His thoughts were racing. He was beginning to grasp something of the situation, even though there were huge gaps in what he understood. “You mean the Smythe’s don’t want to wait till all those things are invented here. They want to sort of speed up civilization?”

Raymond looked at him sadly. “If it is civilization to kill vast numbers of people at a stroke, then yes, that is what they want.”

“But it’s not all like that,” Kurt protested. “You said yourself, there’d be cures for illnesses, things like that.”

“Are they harmless? Would the Smythe’s know how to use the magic that is supposed to be making you better?”

Kurt thought about it for a minute. He had a vision of some sort of crazy villain in a velvet cloak trying to inject chemicals into a Bellezzan who might or might not have some mortal illness. “No. You’d have to be a trained twenty-first-century doctor, I suppose.”

“And if they did have these cures and the skills to apply them,” Raymond persisted, “do you think they would be made available to all? No. The Smythe’s want to help only the Smythe’s. They would steal whatever made them strong, made them livelong, made their women have easy childbirth and healthy babies. And the devil could take everyone else.”

Raymond was striding up and down the terrace now, angry and rather frightening. For all that Kurt was still grasping the rules of the game he was caught up in, he was glad he was playing on the same side as Raymond. The _itinerante_ would make a terrifying enemy.

Suddenly, Raymond stopped, as Giacomo came struggling through the door.

“Master,” he panted, “the Reman Ambassador is downstairs. He wants an audience with you.”

Swiftly, as he spoke, the servant pressed two fingers of his right hand together and touched his brow twice to later kiss them. Kurt frowned confused at the gesture, but tried not to laugh. He had seen Jeff and Trent made the same gesture when Blaine had mentioned that Kurt came from Amerighi.

“Tell him I am not here.” He informed his servant.

“I tried that, Master, but one of the other servants had previously informed him that you were here,” the man said, “and he says that _‘his man’_ hasn’t seen you go out today.”

“His man?” Raymond said outraged. “So, they are setting spies on me now, do they?” He turned quickly to Kurt. “See? We just met and they are already behind our backs. Quick into my laboratory! If their spy has been watching the palace, he might have seen you come in. But there is more than one way of leaving. We must get you away.”

Kurt followed Raymond to the laboratory, but he was confused. _How was he to get away?_ _And what was the Reman Ambassador to him?_ Raymond strode over to the wall and grasped a candle-holder in the shape of a peacock with its tail at full spread. It was the most beautiful piece of workmanship, and Kurt wondered why he hadn’t noticed it when he first entered. It was made of silver, with every color of every feather picked out in bright enamels. The blue of the peacock’s breast and the greens and purples of its tail shone in the darkness of the room like a beacon signaling a safe harbor.

Raymond wrenched the peacock’s head around and the wall behind it swung back. Kurt couldn’t believe his eyes. It was a new secret passage. “Wow.” He murmured. But Raymond was already hurrying him into the passage and grasping the peacock’s head again. Kurt could already hear footsteps outside the laboratory door.

“Just follow the passage,” he said to Kurt, “it will bring you to Blaine’s chambers. Push lightly on the door when you come to the other end and you will find yourself in his private chambers.”

Kurt stopped on the threshold trying to assimilate this new information. It’s not like he didn’t want to see Blaine, but the thought of being alone with him in his private room was something that made his cheeks blush in the reddest red of all reds in the world.

“Is that correct? I mean, it’s his private room and besides, who’s this man? Why do I have to run away from him?”

Raymond leaned close; his large dark eyes were fixed on Kurt’s like a hypnotist. “Because the person coming up the stairs is Rinaldo Smythe,” he said softly. “And if he ever finds you, he will happily kill you for that notebook. Now go and I will follow as soon as I can. Take this fire-stone to light you on your way.” He searched inside his robes and thrust something into Kurt’s hand about the size and shape of a large egg.

“Tell Blaine everything, don’t hold back anything, but make sure you two are alone first, okay?”

“But-”

But Kurt didn’t have time to finish his sentence, because the man pushed him inside the passage and the wall closed-up behind him. Kurt stood inside the secret passage, letting his eyes grow accustomed to the dark. It was pitch black inside.

Then, he held up the _‘egg’_ and watched, fascinated, as it started to glow. Soon it was warm to the touch and glowing red. It gave out a soft light but enough for him to see that he was in a narrow stone corridor with an uneven floor. It smelt musty but not damp. After listening for a while at the door behind the peacock sconce and finding he could hear nothing through its thickness, he shrugged and headed down the passage, the fire-stone making weird patterns on the walls as he went. Again he noticed that he cast no shadow.

Shrugging, he kept walking. “Gosh, in what mess did I get myself into?” He muttered.


	11. Chapter 11

Kurt opened his eyes and looked around. He was back in his room, the clock on the wall marked 6:13am. It was time to get ready for school, and although he hadn't slept at all, he felt as energized as the Energizer bunny. Jumping out of bed, he made his way to the shower and while the hot water took away some of the tiredness from his body, he let his mind wander about the events of the previous day or night—he was not sure anymore—in Bellezza.

o-o-o-o-o

After walking through the secret passageway and almost giving Blaine a heart attack, Kurt had explained to the Bellezzan Prince the reasons why he was inside the palace at that early hour and worse, why he was inside his private room—or chambers, as they called them. At first Blaine had been very confused. Kurt’s explanation about a notebook which helped him travel between worlds was the craziest thing Blaine had ever heard, but as soon as Kurt mentioned the word _itinerante_ and Ray’s name, Blaine’s expression had changed, and after making the good fortune gesture, he had tried to listen more carefully. It was not a secret that everyone in all the Kingdoms of Talia had heard the word _itinerante_ before. Old tales and stories often mentioned the term as something _‘mysterious’_ and _‘dangerous’_ that was somehow related with those individuals who practiced advanced sciences, like Raymond.

After some minutes, Raymond had entered the room too and had helped Kurt gave Blaine a more detail explanation of the whole thing. Starting with the shocking confession that Mr. Armati was an _itinerante_ himself and ending with the part about Kurt’s world and time where he came from—the 21st century.

To Kurt’s surprise, Blaine had shown more enthusiasm and curiosity about the whole story than fear that was what Kurt had dreaded all along. “So, don’t you think I’m crazy?” Kurt had asked Blaine.

“No, I believe you. I know this sounds crazy, but why would you lie to me?” Blaine had said. And the way he had held Kurt’s hand and looked him directly in the eye had left Kurt with no doubts about his sincerity. He truly believed him.

After a couple of hours, and when both boys had understood every single bit of the crazy adventure they were about to live—or better said, they were already living together—the three of them had worked on a cover up story for Kurt. According to Ray’s instructions, Kurt would be staying hidden in the palace at the oldest _itinerante’s_ laboratory and would travel from there every night at the same time, to keep the space-time continuum in balance. He would go to town with Blaine for a couple of hours every now and then to get familiar with everything and be able to pass as a boy from this time, but just when the sun was already setting, so nobody could notice his lack of shadow. If someone asked, Kurt would tell that he was Kurt, grandson of Edward Lombarti—the first _itinerante_ —who had come to Bellezza to be Raymond's apprentice. He would be given Bellezzan clothes to keep his position and Blaine would make sure to show him all the secret passageways of the palace so he could come and go between the rooms as he pleased. Blaine would also tell Jeff and Trent all about Kurt’s cover up story without revealing what he really was.

“Why?” Blaine had asked, after Ray had mentioned his friends.

“Because it’s better to keep this just between us. This is something we can’t share with strangers.”

“But they are not strangers, they are my friends…they would never-"

“What? Betray us? Of course they wouldn't, but we can’t trust that the Smythe’s are not going to use them to learn more about our brotherhood. If they use some kind of torture, the boys could talk, Blaine. We have to be smarter and keep them safe. There are enough lives at risk already. So far only you two plus your father are the only ones to know about the _itineranti_ and what we do.”

“My father knows and still doesn’t believe in your card reading?” Blaine had asked pretty stunned.

“He has never seen me doing it, so he has no actual proof that it’s true. He knows what it means, how it works and most importantly the risks we take if this secret comes out. He’s a smart man Blaine, and he knows that sometimes the lack of knowledge is better, especially with things like this.”

Raymond had also told them that even though they would be keeping Blaine’s friends in the shadows, Kurt and Blaine would have to learn everything about the _itineranti_ and the art of _itineranzza_ , since from now on both their lives were in danger.

“Danger? Why?” Blaine had asked, and Raymond had just said, _‘the Smythe’s’_ as a matter of explanation.

Blaine didn’t need more; he could already guess why the Smythe’s were so interested in getting to know all the secrets behind the _itineranti_. They were sick of power and certainly being able to travel between worlds, and traveling to a very advanced civilization like Kurt’s was the ultimate masterstroke to steal the crown from the Anderson’s.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt let out a deep breath and smiled, hopping out of the shower and quickly covering himself with a white towel. He looked at his reflection in the semi-fogged mirror and smiled. Although his _‘safe place’_ was not entirely danger-free, as he had first imagined it would be, he couldn’t help but feel happy about it. Now thanks to all that had happened, he knew for sure that Bellezza was real and he had safely negotiated his first voluntary journey there and back. He had practiced _‘itineranzza,’_ as Raymond called it, and it had been surprisingly easy.

“I’m a _itinerante_.” He murmured to himself, and with that happy thought, he quickly ran to his room to get ready to go back to hell, or school as people around him liked to call it.

o-o-o-o-o

Fifteen minutes later, Kurt was at Finn’s room opening the shutters to let the sun come in. His brother was completely stretched out in the twin size bed with all the sheets tangled around his long legs. Sometimes Kurt wondered how his brother actually managed to get some sleep because he always ended up in very complicated positions that in Kurt’s opinion looked very uncomfortable for someone who was supposed to be _‘resting.’_

“Hey, Finn! Come on! It’s time! Wake up!” Kurt said, softly poking the taller man on the back to wake him up.

Finn opened his eyes and rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. “Oh, hmmm…hi, Kurt.”

“Hi…it’s time, Finn. We have to go.” He informed his brother.

“Okay, yeah.” Finn said, sitting on his bed. “But I want to talk to you in private, do we have some time?” He asked.

Kurt panicked. He didn’t know why, but he suspected that Finn was starting to put the pieces together and get that something was not right with him.

 _‘Perhaps he knows I’m skipping classes!’_ Kurt tried to guess, while his mind immediately started to look for ways to escape from that conversation.

“No, we can’t talk right now, Finn. It's getting late and I still have to prepare our breakfast, we can talk later, though." He said, walking away and not giving Finn a chance to say anything else.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt fetched all the ingredients he needed for his famous _a la Hummel’s omelette’s,_ but his hands were trembling. He was very nervous. The thought of having a conversation with his brother was something that made him feel anxious.

“I can’t talk to him.” Kurt murmured, his voice being muted with the noise coming from the coffee machine he had started as soon as he had entered the kitchen. “He’s going to tell my dad and-” He trailed off. Just the thought of that confrontation with his dad gave him chills.

Not waiting for Finn to come down, Kurt ate his breakfast as quickly as possible and left the house. If he could postpone the imminent talk with Finn, he was going to do it. He was not ready to reveal anything just yet.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt spent his first class sleeping. The energy he had had in the morning quickly dropped the moment Mrs. Peters, his History teacher, had started to talk about the French Revolution. Kurt loved school, but the lack of sleep and his lack of interest in that topic made him fall asleep during the whole class.

After that, he spent the rest of the day like a zombie; he didn’t even blink when the guys from the football team throw him an avalanche of slushies right in the face. He just internally rolled his eyes and walked to the bathroom to clean himself. Fortunately he always had a spare of clothes safely folded inside his locker for this kind of emergencies.

Once he was changed in fresh clothes, he grabbed his books and walked to his next class. Mercedes, who had the same class, was already there waiting for him.

“Kurt!” She yelled, pointing to the empty seat next to her.

Kurt smiled and took the seat his friend was offering him. “Hi, Cedes!” He said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but failing greatly.

“You look tired.” Mercedes said, noticing the two now apparently permanent dark circles under her friend’s eyes.

“I didn’t sleep well, but I’m fine.” Kurt said, sounding defensive. He didn’t know why, but recently he felt like if everyone could read what he was hiding, the good and the bad things, and that made him feel defensive about his privacy.

Mercedes frowned and just when she was about to reply, Ms. Holiday, the substitute teacher, entered the classroom to start with the Spanish lessons and Kurt breathed out relieved. He had never been happier to start a Spanish class before.

o-o-o-o-o

Near lunchtime, Kurt was making his way through the halls of McKinley when a group of guys pushed him against the wall. He turned around and saw that the group of idiots were the annoying members of the WMHS hockey team—his other nightmare.

“What are you looking at faggot?” A tall and chubby guy asked.

“Nothing.” Kurt murmured, lowering his gaze. They weren't as mean as the football team, but they were mean enough to make him shake with fear.

“We didn’t hear you, what did you say?” The other guy said, cornering him between the wall and his toned body.

“Nothing.” Kurt repeated, still in a whisper.

“Good, it’s better when you faggots remain with your mouths shut. We don’t want your faggoty breath around here.” The third guy said, facing Kurt and then walking away flanked by the other two guys.

Kurt took a deep breath and walked to his locker. He was just opening the door, when Dave Karofsky approached him.

“What did you tell Azmio?” He asked, more like demanded.

“Nothing!” Kurt said.

“I don’t believe you!” Dave said, pushing him against his locker and making him hit his head with the open door.

“I’m telling the truth! I didn’t say a thing.” Kurt said; his voice was shaking like the rest of his body.

“You better be, Hummel, or else you know what’s going to happen.” Dave said, putting his fist in front of Kurt’s face in a menacing way and pushing him afterwards until Kurt was on the floor.

Tina, who was looking at the scene from afar, quickly came closer and tried to help Kurt to stand up. “Here, let me help you.” She said, extending her hand toward the helpless boy.

“I’m okay!” Kurt stated a little defensive. He was like an injured animal, trying to lick his own wounds.

“Let me help you.” Tina insisted.

“No! I’m fine!” Kurt said, standing up on his own and storming out to get to his next class without giving Tina a chance to say another word.

o-o-o-o-o

Mr. Schue entered the choir room and quickly wrote on the white blackboard the assignment of the week. “This week’s assignment will be about _‘emotions,’_ we have to get ready for sectionals and since this year's theme is about dreams, what better way to do it than by practicing about emotions. All dreams come from a deep emotion within ourselves so I want you all to think about songs that can describe emotions the best and-” He was saying when Mercedes raised her hand. “Yes, Mercedes?”

“Hmmm, Mr. Schue? Before we start with that, could I say something?” She asked.

“Yeah, sure...go on.” Mr. Schue said, taking a seat in one of the empty red chairs and leaving the spotlight to Mercedes.

Mercedes stood up and walked until she was in front of the piano to face the rest of her friends. “Hmmm, well I wanted to take this time to talk to one of our own. Kurt…” She said, now looking at the boy who had a surprised expression crossing his face. He was terrified.

“I think I speak for everyone in this room when I say that we’re worried. We don’t know what, but we are pretty sure that something is happening to you. These past few weeks you’ve changed, Kurt and well, we just wanted you to know that you can trust us. Whatever-”

“I’m fine, Mercedes! I already told you!” Kurt replied, his voice sounded tired and aggressive.

“Kurt…” Mr. Schue said, standing up next to Mercedes. “Some of the teachers have shared with me that you’ve been skipping classes these past few weeks, and with what Mercedes just said, I assume that there must be a reason behind all of this unusual behavior, am I right?”

Kurt didn’t reply and just lowered his gaze. He felt exposed and vulnerable, like if suddenly all the people gathered there could read into his eyes and reach his soul.

"Kurt..." Tina whispered. "Last week when I took you to the nurse I know you lied. You told her that you were weak due to our Glee rehearsal, but we didn't even dance. I know something else happened."

Kurt took a deep breath and didn't look up. _How could he look at all these people that in a way were the closest things he had to friends and deny that what they were saying was nothing but the truth?_

Finn suddenly stood up and everybody turned around. He had remained silent during the whole conversation and that was something weird, since they were talking about his brother.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I wanted to talk to you about this in private, but seeing that you don't want to talk about it then I'm just gonna say it. I read your diary, man. I'm sorry but I read it, and I know Karofsky did something to you. I don't know what because you didn't write it with fine words, but you're not okay, Kurt, of that I’m sure."

Kurt felt his blood boiling. _'How dare he? How dare he read my diary!'_ He thought, and taking a deep breath he stood up and voiced his thoughts; anger was going through his body. "How dare you spy on my private stuff, Finn? Who gave you the damn right?"

"I'm sorry, dude. I was worried! You've been acting weird, skipping classes, wearing the same clothes twice, missing our family night Friday dinners, and last Saturday when you fell asleep right in the middle of our conversation I saw you diary at the coffee table and I read it."

"That's private stuff, Finn, you had no right to read that! Who do you think you are!?" Kurt yelled, angry tears were rolling down his face.

"Your brother!" Finn yelled back. "I'm your brother, Kurt, and as your brother is my duty to look after you. So if you want me to apologize for reading your diary I'll do it, but I'm sure you'd have done the same thing if I was the one acting weird. I love you man and although I didn't read the whole thing I know something happened with Karofsky and I want to know what exactly did he do to you, so that I can help you...so we can help you." He gestured, pointing to the rest of the Glee club.

Kurt rolled his eyes and let his body fall into the chair. The tears kept falling down his face and he knew it was pointless to keep this as a secret. The cat was out of the bag and now he had no option but to trust in this people, and beg for Dave to never find out or else he could start to consider himself a dead man.

"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Finn asked, walking near his brother and patting his shoulder in a reassuringly gesture.

Between sobs, Kurt took a deep breath and said, "Dave threatened to kill me."

The moment those words came out of his mouth he felt a heavy burden lifting from his shoulders. He had finally pronounced the words he had been so afraid to share.

The room burst into a mess of angry shouts and complaints. All his friends were saying how they were going to make Dave pay for threatening Kurt, and although Kurt felt good to hear all that support, he couldn't help but worry. Even if they somehow managed to stop Karofsky now, he would come back and Kurt's life was at risk.

"Don't!" He yelled, trying to stop Finn who was on his way to the door with Puck, Mike, Artie, Sam, and even Santana following right behind him. They were determined to make Dave pay for what he had done, and just with the look on their faces Kurt could tell it was not going to be pretty.

"Please, don't! That's why I didn't say anything!" Kurt said, sobbing. Now that he had confessed everything he couldn’t stop crying. "That's not going to solve anything and it's just going to make it worse. Don't do that Finn, please don't!"

"Why not Kurt!?" Finn yelled desperate. "He needs to know that you're not alone and if I have to beat the crap out of him I'll do it! You're my brother and nobody messes with my family! He and the rest of the football team can go and fu-"

"Finn!" Mr. Schue interrupted. "I understand that you're angry, you have every right to be, but Kurt is right. Doing what you're planning to do to that kid won’t solve the problem. We have to first and foremost ensure Kurt’s safety.” He said. “Please, Kurt, come with me, it’s time that we take this situation to the right people.”

Kurt stood up and took Mr. Schue’s hand.

“Please guys, do some warming up exercises while I’m with Kurt at Principal Sue’s office, okay? Finn why don’t you take over for me?” Mr. Schue suggested, trying to give Finn something else to do than go and beat that other kid.

Taking a deep breath Finn nodded and walked back to the middle of the choir room while Mr. Schue and Kurt walked out and headed to Principal Sue’s office.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt, Burt and Finn arrived home after the failed meeting with Principal Sue. Despite all efforts that Mr. Schue made to help Kurt, they hadn’t achieved a thing. Since there was no actual proof—but Kurt’s word—that Dave had actually threatened to kill him, all Sue could do for now was to keep a closer eye on him and try to help Kurt feel secure around the school.

Burt had gone nuts with that apparent lack of interest for his son’s safety, and after yelling at Sue for half an hour without even stopping to take a breath, Sue promised the Hummel’s and also Will that at the first act of violence Dave committed he would be expelled in less than it would take him to say the word _‘porcelain.’_ So for now, Kurt would have to keep living in the same hell where he had been living since he could remember.

“Kurt I want you to-” Burt started to say as soon as they entered the threshold of the Hummel-Hudson house.

“Please don’t, dad.” Kurt interrupted. “I don’t want to hear anything, okay? I just want to go to sleep and forget this day happened. I want to dream that I can get away from this stupid town and never come back. I’m not in the mood for one of your lectures dad, or yours Finn.” He said, looking at his brother who had opened his big mouth to give his opinion.

“But-”

“But nothing, dad. I really just want to sleep and don’t think about any of this, could you do that? Or, are you two going to make this home a living hell for me as well?”

With that, Burt and Finn shook their heads and didn’t say a word, letting Kurt to finally go to his room, close the door behind him and cry himself to sleep.

o-o-o-o-o

The door of Kurt’s room slowly cracked open and Carole, who was carrying a tray with some food, walked in and sat by the edge of the bed. Slowly poking the boy to wake up, “Kurt, come on, wake up sweetie you have to eat something.” She whispered.

Kurt very slowly opened his eyes and looked at his stepmother. “Carole.”

“Hi, sweetie. I brought you something to eat. I made your favorite sandwich, it has avocado and everything you like.” She said, giving him a warm smile.

“Thanks,” Kurt said, half sitting in the bed. “But, I’m not really hungry.”

“You have to eat something, at least give it some bites, okay? Or else your dad is going to force-feed you like a baby. He warned me.”

“Hmmm, well in that case, thanks...I think I can try to eat something.” He said again, this time grabbing the tray and looking at the food. Now that he had the chance to think about it, he was a little bit hungry, but all he wanted to do was fall asleep again, but this time go back to Bellezza, to the only place where he felt happy and safe.

“Kurt.” Carole said hesitantly, she was looking at Kurt as he gave the sandwich some small bites.

“Hmmhm…”

“I know you told your dad you didn’t want to talk about it and we will respect your decision, but I just want you to know that no matter what, you can always talk to me. I know I’m not your mom and I’d never think of replacing her, but I can be your friend too and you can tell me stuff that you can’t tell to your dad for obvious reasons, and I promise you to never, ever, tell him anything. I can be your confident.”

Kurt gave the woman a long look. She was a good mother and a good wife. It was true that Kurt could never see her as a mother, but she was right, there were things that he couldn’t tell his dad for several reasons and when he thought about it, she was all he was going to get that came closer to what a mother should be.

“Thank you, Carole. I really appreciate that and I already consider you a friend so be sure that the next time I need a shoulder to cry on, you’ll be the first one I’ll tell, but right now I’m not in the mood for talking, you know? I’ll just finish this sandwich—delicious by the way—and then I’ll go to sleep because whether I like it or not, tomorrow I have school.”

Carole took Kurt’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Okay, yeah. Well, sleep tight and I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said, walking to the door, but turning before leaving. “And Kurt? Don’t worry, okay? We will find a way to make you feel safe again. We promise you that.”

Kurt just nodded and gave the sandwich another bite to avoid actually replying. He knew there was no way that they could promise him a safe environment in this town, not even in this world. His only safe place was ironically in some parallel universe.

o-o-o-o-o

As soon as Carole closed the door behind her, Kurt stood up and locked the door. He gave the sandwich two more bites and left the rest. After all, he was sure that there will be some proper food and wine waiting for him the moment he appeared back in Bellezza. He grabbed his notebook and putting it safely inside his hoodie’s pocket, he lay down on bed and closed his eyes. His heart was already beating fast with just the idea of seeing Blaine again.

_‘Blaine...’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for now, I hope you have understood the time/space traveling thing. From now on the story will be more dynamic and less explanatory, so keep an eye out for future updates! I'll see you soon!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back (sorry for the delay)...Like I said at the end of chapter 11, from now on the story will be more dynamic and less explanatory. We will start with a very small time jump (3 weeks after CH11) and things will start to change between our boys, so enjoy!!

Blaine was walking anxiously around his chambers, the sun was already out and although he was supposed to be heading to his daily lessons, he couldn’t leave the room yet. He was waiting for Kurt who was supposed to be back already. Blaine was distracted, looking intently at his bed in hope to make Kurt to suddenly appear when Agatha, his serving-maid, walked in.

“Your Highness.” She said, but with the look Blaine gave her, she immediately corrected herself. “I mean, Blaine. Your tutor is here and waiting for you at the library. Also Your Majesty, King Richard, asked me to inform you that he won’t be able to join you at your sword lessons today. However, Your Highness, Prince Cooper, will be there instead.”

“Thank you Agatha, you can go now. Tell Signor Goretti that I’ll be there shortly.”

“As you order.” Agatha said, making a small bow and walking out the room.

Blaine quickly looked back to the empty bed and took a deep breath as he remembered the past few weeks he had shared with Kurt.

' _Kurt...'_ He thought, and a smile crossed his face. That boy had slowly stolen his will and now he couldn’t conceive his life without Kurt in it. In just a few weeks, the boy had become his best friend and the reason why he smiled every day.

Waiting there for the blue-eyed boy to appear, Blaine remembered the first time he saw Kurt practicing _itineranzza_ —the same night Ray and Kurt had confessed everything. He couldn’t deny that it had been weird and a shock to his system, he felt like if he had witnessed some kind of illusion or something, but now that he had seen him doing it for three long weeks that feeling had been replaced with one of wonder and excitement. Kurt was a real _itinerante_ who came from a different world. _How could he not be excited about that?_

“Hurry up, Kurt!” Blaine said to the air, and in that moment the wall at the far end of the room cracked a bit and Raymond poked his head through it.

“Is he here yet?”

“No…he hasn’t returned yet.”

Ray entered the room and started scolding Blaine. “How many times do I have to tell you both that he has to travel from my laboratory? How many times, Blaine? If someone enters this room when he returns we all are going to be in trouble! Have you thought about the risks we’re taking?”

“Sorry?” Blaine said tentatively. “We lost track of time, and then Jeff and Trent wanted us to stay for dinner and since Cooper was there too, we stayed until late. When we came back I couldn’t sneak Kurt in using the usual passageways since Cooper was with me, but he helped and it was harder than we originally thought, and then he insisted on showing Kurt his armors' collection and last thing we knew it was past midnight and he had to go back, so…” Blaine explained.

“Wait!” Ray said, “Cooper knows Kurt’s staying in the palace? He helped you sneak him in?”

“No!” Blaine immediately said, but knowing it was better not to lie to the old _itinerante_ , he confessed, “Well, yes. He knows that sometimes he stays here, but he doesn’t know he’s actually staying full time and I didn’t say a thing about the _itineranti_. He just thinks I bring him here often?” Blaine said, but the scowl on Ray’s face showed that the man was pissed. “I’m sorry, Ray, but he had caught us twice walking around the palace and he’s my brother and I trust him, so I told him what I thought wouldn’t harm anyone. I didn’t tell him everything, just that Kurt is not from here and that he’s your apprentice, the whole cover up story. Yesterday was a one-time thing. He thought we were just being _‘naughty’_ and helped us sneak in."

Ray just shook his head showing his disapproval, and took a seat in one of the chairs by the coffee table. “I just hope he doesn’t open his mouth in front of your father or else, you and I, young man, will be in a lot of trouble...and Kurt too.”

“He promised to keep it as a secret.”

“Okay, fine. Cooper is a wise man, so I’ll trust his judgment.” Ray said, clearly not wanting to keep talking about that.

“Ray? Hmmm, have you read your cards lately?” Blaine asked out of nowhere.

“Yes…why?”

“Because, yesterday when we were walking around town an old man came by and said he could read us the cards. We said no, but he insisted and you know Jeff he’s always excited about everything and with Cooper there I couldn’t say no, and-” Blaine trailed off.

“And? What happened, Blaine?”

“He dealt the same pattern you got that night at your laboratory. Jeff and Trent recognized the cards too, and well...I don’t know what to get from that. The man just looked at us and whispered...danger, before disappearing.” Blaine said, a little bit scared.

Ray stayed silent for a couple of minutes. If someone else had dealt the same pattern he had being getting with since almost two months from now, that only meant that whatever that was going to happen was clearly related with Kurt. There was no other reasonable explanation.

“My lectures haven’t changed, Blaine. I’ve been having the same lecture over and over again. I can’t lie to you, son, I’m worried. You know my cards very rarely lie and I think we all are in great danger and somehow, and don’t ask me why, but I think Kurt is related to all of this.”

“You think?”

Ray just nodded. “There’s no other explanation, Blaine. He’s not a chosen _itinerante_ , his arrival to this world is completely up to faith, so yes, I believe he’s related to this reading greatly. How much? I don’t know, but he is in a way.”

Blaine swallowed slowly; he was suddenly concerned about Kurt’s safety. Ray looked up and saw that spark of concern flashing through the youngest boy’s eyes. “Don’t worry, Blaine. As long as he’s near me, he’s going to be fine. Now, you go and take your lessons, we don’t want your mother here to drag you out.”

“I want to wait till Kurt is back.” Blaine complained.

“You know that his return can take hours, Blaine. We don’t know why he’s not here yet. Maybe he had some difficulties to come back, I think it’s better if you just-” Raymond was saying when Kurt suddenly materialized on top of Blaine’s bed.

“Kurt!” Blaine exclaimed excitedly, rushing to give the boy a welcome-back hug.

“Blaine!” Kurt exclaimed back, mirroring the Prince’s excitement and hugging him tightly.

The two boys looked at each other directly in the eye and smiled warmly. They were always the happiest versions of themselves when they were next to each other and that was something everyone around them had noticed.

Ray cleared his throat. “I’m glad you’re back safe and sound Kurt, now, Blaine, please go to take your lessons! If your mother comes here she’s going to kill us all and it’s not figuratively, but literally.”

Blaine nodded and squeezed Kurt’s hand. “See you later?”

Kurt just nodded and tried not to blush, because still after three weeks, every time Blaine grabbed his hand, he managed to make him blush.

Blaine left the room and Ray immediately stood up and walked to the secret door hidden in the wall at the far end of the room. “Are you ready for today’s lesson?” He asked.

“Ready!” Kurt exclaimed. He loved the life he had in this strange land.

“Good, because today’s lesson is not going to be easy.”

Kurt laughed. “None of your lessons have been easy, Ray.”

“True.” The old _itinerante_ said, while a playful smile was trying to escape from his lips. “But this one will be harder, you’ll see why.” He said, opening the secret door and stepping in. Kurt followed right behind him and the two _intineranti_ disappeared behind the wall.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine took a step forward and draw his sword giving his best strike in an attempt to finally beat his opponent, but the tall man read his movements ahead and with one quick movement of his arm disarmed Blaine, and left him cornered at the edge of the fence where they were practicing.

“You see, Lamb?” Cooper said, removing the sweat from his forehead and lowering his sword. “The key to win any battle is to never announce your next move to your opponent. If you do so, then consider yourself dead.”

“I did not announce my moves.” Blaine replied, but he knew his brother was right. Perhaps if he hadn’t emphasized the last step he took, he could have caught Cooper off guard.

“Yes, you did. Look Lamb, you just have to be quicker and less predictable, but you’re actually getting better. I wish I had your style  and shape when I was your age.”,

“Do you think I’m any good?” Blaine asked.

“No,” Cooper shook his head, “I don’t think you’re good, I’m sure about it. You’re the first opponent that actually makes me sweat, so consider that an honor. It's not a secret that I’m the best swordsman in all Bellezza.”

“What about father?” Blaine teased.

“He’s pretty good, but he’s also an old man and I’m young so…”

The two brothers started laughing while they cleaned the dust that had managed to stick at the top of their boots. Meanwhile, the servants picked up their swords and put them safely inside their suitcases.

“You have any more lessons today?” Cooper asked casually.

“Yes, my riding and piano lessons and I’m done for the day.”

“Are you going to see Kurt today?” Cooper asked, “He stayed here last night, right?” He added, giving Blaine a knowingly smile.

“Stop it, Cooper! It’s not like that, okay?”

“No?” Cooper teased.

“No!”

“So, are you telling me that you don’t like him _that_ way?”

“No! Well, yes I like him, but-” Blaine trailed off. He hadn’t talked about what he felt for Kurt with anyone, and he wasn’t willing to start with his brother.

“It’s okay, Lamb. He’s a nice guy. I like him, and you two look cute together. If you want my opinion I’d say you totally went for it...I think he likes you too.”

Blaine blushed. “You think? Why?”

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you, besides you two aren’t exactly discreet in the way you flirt with each other.”

“We do not flirt.” Blaine said in self-defense, but the way Cooper was looking at him wasn’t helping him to keep a straight face. “Stop looking at me like that!”

“Like what? It’s okay, little brother. I won’t tell father that you have a crush on the _Amerighi_ boy. Your secret is safe with me.” The eldest Prince said, winking playfully at his brother.

“I don’t have a-” Blaine was saying, but Cooper interrupted him.

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Lamb! Because if you don’t have a crush on him then the only other option here is that you’re actually in love with him. And if you can’t admit to yourself to have a crush on the boy then there’s no hope in you actually saying that you’re in love with him, so leave it like that, okay? I know and I won’t tell anyone. Now go and have fun with your horse. I’ll go take a bath and then supervise the niche for great, great grandmother Catherine. Did I tell you it’s almost finished?”

Blaine shook his head. He couldn’t articulate a word; his mind was still trying to assimilate what Cooper had just said because he had practically voiced his feelings. He didn’t have a crush, he was madly, and insanely in love with Kurt.

“Well, it’s almost finished. I think mother can start to plan the Ball for two weeks from now or something. Anyway, see you at dinner, Lamb!” Cooper said, walking away and leaving Blaine standing at the sword practice field with a racing heart and a flood of butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

_‘I’m in love with Kurt.’_

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt was at Ray’s laboratory trying to make his brain understand the text he had in front of him. When Ray had told him that the lesson of the day would be harder than the rest he had had so far, he had never imagined it would be this hard. In front of him he had a parchment where the hidden secrets behind alchemy were _‘deciphered.'_ According to Ray, every _itinerante_ should understand and value this discovery since it had been the foundation of the _itineranzza_ as the art of time/space traveling. The old man had also said that the concept was easy to understand once you got the basic principle of energy and matter. But that was precisely Kurt’s problem. He didn’t understand a word of what he was reading and it had nothing to do with the language, which by the way, he was sure it was some variation of the _‘normal’_ _Talian_.

“Hmmm, Ray?” Kurt asked, looking up from the parchment and noticing that the old man was lost in thought mixing some potions in those strange containers that looked like flasks but were not really common flasks.

“Yes?” The man asked, distracted.

“Are you sure this is in some kind of language that I understand? Because so far I haven’t understood a single word.”

“That’s because you’re trying to read all the text as a single concept and you need to remember that every word is a concept in itself.” Ray said, not even looking up from his task at hand.

Kurt frowned confused, but looked down and tried to read the whole thing again as multiple concepts, however, he still wasn't understanding a single word. They both were lost in their respective activities, when Giacomo, entered the room.

“Master.” He gasped. He had clearly run all the way up to the tower using those mortal service-stairs.

“What is it, Giacomo?”

“The Pope, Ambassador Rinaldo and his son are here, master. Your Majesty, the King, requires your presence in the Grand Salon for the official meeting.”

Ray’s face went pale and Kurt held his breath. By now Kurt knew all about the Smythe’s and as any other Bellezzan he had learned to fear them—they were the worst scum around the Kingdoms of Talia. But what had Kurt more nervous was not the presence of the Pope and the Ambassador, but hearing about his son, Sebastian Smythe. Kurt didn’t know him yet, but whenever he heard his name, his guts twitched and a weird feeling flooded his mind.

“Do you know what are they doing here?” Raymond asked.

“No master, all I know is that they arrived without an invitation.”

“That’s so unusual of them.” Ray said sarcastically. “Anyway...thank you Giacomo. Please inform Your Majesty that I’ll be joining him in a minute.” He said, giving Giacomo a soft nod and waiting for him to leave.

As soon as the servant closed the door, Raymond continued, “I hate these unexpected visits, they never end well.” He said, standing up. “I guess the sooner I know why they are here the better, right?”

Kurt just nodded. He was still speechless and trying to pinpoint what that weird twist in his guts meant for him.

“I think we will have to dismiss today’s lesson, but you can stay here reading the parchment I gave you or you can spend some time at the library. Blaine will join you as soon as he’s done with his own lessons. Needless to say...please stay hidden, okay? See you at night!”

“Okay.” Kurt managed to reply almost in a whisper, a sudden realization about his feelings for Blaine had just clicked in his mind and heart.

“Wish me good fortune.” Raymond said, making the traditional sign with his right hand, and Kurt mirrored it when the old man left the room and closed the door behind him.

“I’m not jealous.” Kurt whispered to himself, and returned his attention to the parchment in front of him.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine walked to the palace stables looking for his horse, he was already changed and dressed in his riding apparel. He was anxious, the sudden realization he had had about his feelings for Kurt had left him uneasy—in the best way possible. He wanted to finish practicing with his horse so he could go back to the palace and take his piano lesson. Ray usually let Kurt stay hidden behind the secret doors of the Grand Salon so he could listen to Blaine play the piano for two full hours.

“Maybe if I play him the right melody I could actually-” He was telling to himself when Paolo, the stable man, waved at him. “Good afternoon, Your Highness. Your horse is ready for your lessons. I just gave him his daily brush, so you’ll find him in a very good mood.” The young man said, politely smiling to the young Prince.

“Just Blaine, and thank you Paolo. I’ll go find him then.” Blaine said, entering the stable and walking to the stall where he knew his horse was waiting.

When he found the door that had his initials on the top door, he entered and smiled at the magnificent white horse. “Hi there, Snowflake! Are you ready to practice?” Blaine said, petting the majestic animal.

The horse let out a snort and Blaine laughed a little. The saddle was already in place, so he took Snowflake by the bridle and helped him out. When he was walking toward the jump field, he heard someone calling him from somewhere near the bushes.

“Pst! Pst!”

Blaine turned around and saw a boy standing hidden behind some bushes.

“Kurt?” Blaine asked surprised, walking near him. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with Ray learning who knows what about _what-you-know_?”

Kurt looked around to make sure nobody was there before replying. “Yes, but there were some unexpected visitors and he dismissed the lesson.”

“Who’s here?” Blaine asked intrigued.

“The Pope, his brother and his nephew.” Kurt said, his voice changing of tone with the mention of the nephew.

“The Smythe’s are here?” Blaine asked alarmed.

“Yes, your father asked Ray to be at the meeting. I guess we'll find out why they are here later, right?” Kurt said, giving Blaine a smile.

The Prince was pale as a ghost, he feared the worst. It was like if he could already say why they were there—they were there to start with the preparations for the arranged wedding.

“Don’t worry, Blaine.” Kurt said, noticing the look on the Prince’s face. “Everything is going to be okay, I promise you that.”

Blaine just smiled and with one look of Kurt, he suddenly felt better. _‘Everything is going to be fine.’_ He repeated to himself. “Yes, you’re right...but you didn’t answer one of my questions, what are you doing here? I know Ray cancelled your lessons, but still.”

“Well, Ray told me to stay hidden and everything, but I was bored and-” Kurt hesitated a little. Now that he looked at Blaine there was no doubt about it, he had lied to himself, he was jealous of Sebastian. Very jealous indeed. “And...well, we barely have time to be alone. I mean, it’s always fun to spend time with Ray and then fool around in town with Jeff and Trent, but I kind of-” He hesitated again.

_‘Why is this so hard?’_

“You what?” Blaine asked softly.

“Well, I kind of miss being just with you. I thought it could be fun to spend some time alone? Maybe sneak out of the palace?” Kurt said, lowering his gaze and trying to hide the blush that he was sure was now covering his face.

“Do you really want to just go out with me?”

“Yes…” Kurt whispered. “I like Jeff and Trent so much already, but I enjoy just being with you. Alone.” He replied coyly.

Blaine’s smile went wider. “I enjoy spending time with you too.” He said, and they both looked at each other.

They didn’t have to say it out loud to know that there was a double meaning behind those words.

“Your Highness?” Someone yelled from the field.

“I have to go, but-” Blaine was saying when Kurt interrupted.

“Meet me at the North exit, okay? The one that takes to the small bridge over that big tree. We could go to the Abbazia, nobody is ever there, so it is very unlikely that someone could notice my lack of shadow.” He said, giving Blaine a playful smile.

Blaine just nodded and walked away happier than ever to his lessons.

o-o-o-o-o

After Blaine practically forced the poor horse to complete the springs and jumps around the field as fast as possible, he headed back to the palace and met his piano teacher. The old lady had just started her lesson, when the smart boy pretended to suffer from a very painful headache and excused himself from the lesson.

Once in his room, Blaine told his serving-maid, who already knew that he sometimes sneaked out of the palace, that he would be out exploring the gardens for some time, but since there were some visitors in the palace, if someone came asking for him, she would say that he had had a terrible headache and had fallen asleep.

“And if your mother insists on checking on you?” The woman asked.

“Tell her that I requested not be disturbed and that I’ll join my family and our guests for dinner.”

“Okay, as you wish.”

“Thank you.” Blaine said, carefully placing two pillows under his covers and slipping through the passageways.

When he arrived to the North entrance, Kurt was already waiting for him. He looked a bit crestfallen, but the moment he noticed Blaine’s presence, his expression changed and a smile crossed his face.

“Hi, there!” Kurt said.

“Hi!” Blaine replied smiling coyly, now that he knew what he really felt for Kurt it was awkward to be close to him. “Hmmm, you still want us to go to the Abbazia?”

“Yes, well only if you want.”

“Of course I want.”

“Then lead the way, I’m definitely more familiar with the city, but I’m still not an expert.”

Blaine smiled and took Kurt’s hand; together they walked away and sneaked out of the palace, taking the first narrow street that lead to the Abbazia, not noticing the man in a blue coat who was watching them as they go.

 o-o-o-o-o

Arriving to the Abbazia felt exactly like it had felt the first time they had been there, the magic of the place gave them both some sense of deja vu to the very beginning of their friendship, although this time things were different between them.

“It looks as spectacular as I remember it.” Kurt whispered.

Blaine just nodded and took a seat in one of the concrete blocks coming out of the water. Kurt took a deep breath and sat next to him. Silence filled the atmosphere, and although the only sounds that could be heard were the crickets and the trickle of the water, the boys were not uncomfortable. On the contrary, they were just enjoying being next to each other, sharing some time in this magical place.

Blaine turned to his left and admired Kurt’s face. The blue-eyed boy was lost in thought looking at the water. His mind seemed to be somewhere else, lost in some sad place.

“Are you okay?” Blaine asked worriedly, taking Kurt’s hand.

Kurt shook his head.

“What’s wrong?”

Kurt took a deep breath and confessed. “I don’t want to go back to my world ever again, B. I’m miserable there! Sometimes when I’m here and I’m this happy-” he said, pointing to his surroundings to emphasize his words and giving Blaine's hand a soft squeeze, “-I wonder what would happen if I decided to never go back.”

“Kurt…” Blaine said with sympathy.

“I don’t like my life there, B. I’m always afraid, constantly watching my back and the only moment I’m truly happy is when I’m about to go to sleep to come back here. I don’t know, but sometimes I wished I could just stay here and never, ever, come back.”

“You could do it…you could live in the palace and be a Bellezzan. You’re already disguised as one, but we could make it official.”

“I can’t, B. I can’t…I know I have a lot of reasons to leave that place and come here, but I have my family there. I couldn’t do that to them. Imagine my brother and Carole...and my dad.” Kurt sighed, lowering his gaze and trying to fight back the tears, just the thought of never seeing his family again made him feel even more miserable.

Blaine noticed the small tear that was running down Kurt’s face and not knowing what else to do, he leaned over the water and took the most beautiful water lily he could find and handed it to Kurt.

“Thank you...” Kurt whispered, smiling sweetly at the beautiful flower and the man who had given it to him. He seemed to always know what to do to make him smile and feel better.

Blaine held his gaze fixed on those blue eyes that he happened to love so much, and without thinking what he was doing, he closed the small distance that separated their mouths and pressed his lips against Kurt’s, melting into a sweet kiss.

Kurt stopped breathing; Blaine’s lips were sending electrical shocks through all his body with every twist they made. He felt every cell and every fiber of his body becoming alive with just that simple intimate moment. This was the first kiss he had been waiting for, and now that he knew what a real kiss felt like, he was sure that the incident with Dave hadn’t ruined the experience for him.

When the incident in the men's dressing room had happened, Kurt’s biggest fear had been the idea of having lost such an important and special moment of his life with that Neanderthal. But now that Blaine was kissing him—really kissing him—he suddenly felt relieved. Dave hadn’t stolen that moment from him, his first kiss had always belonged to Blaine and now that their lips were melted into one, he couldn’t be happier. Everything was perfect and just like he had dreamed his first kiss would be.

“I’m sorry.” Blaine apologized, slightly stepping back. He didn’t regret the kiss, it had been his first kiss and the best one if you asked him, but he didn’t know what Kurt thought of any of this. He knew what had happened to Kurt back in his world, and now he was afraid of having overstepped.

“Don’t!” Kurt exclaimed, an instead of keep talking, he grabbed Blaine’s face and kissed him again.

Blaine smiled into the kiss and embraced Kurt to pull him closer. Kurt smiled too and while the sun set in the horizon, the boys shared the most epic first kiss of all the first kisses in the history of both worlds—shared in the most romantic spot Bellezza had to offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it!! I'll try to update this weekend so keep an eye for CH13 ;)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new update, as in the previous one there's a small time jump but this 4 chapters will cover a whole day/night in both worlds. Hope you like it! Read the notes at the end of CH16 :)

The next few weeks were the happiest Kurt had ever lived. His days at McKinley passed as slowly and stress-fully as before, but not everything was bad. The Glee Club had managed to win the Sectionals competition and now they were preparing for Regionals. Kurt was happy about that, but what really had him in a state of constant happiness was his suddenly improved nightlife. Every night in the past weeks he had been slipping back into his Bellezzan life, wore velvet elegant clothes, drank amazing wine, spent each morning in science lessons unlike any he had known at school and passed every afternoon with Blaine—and sometimes with Jeff and Trent too. The boys usually roamed around the beautiful streets and bridges of the wonderful city and talked for hours and hours.

The only concern Kurt had in this wonderful world was remembering to keep out of full sunlight in case anyone saw that he didn’t have a shadow, but other than that Bellezza was the place where all his dreams were suddenly coming true.

It was a bright new Saturday morning in the same old Lima. A small bird stood at the edge of Kurt’s window and started to sing. Kurt smiled at the yellow canary and couldn’t help but think of how much his life had changed since he had first visited Bellezza.

In his waking life, Kurt went to school, stayed as far away from Karofsky as possible, and during his free time—if he wasn’t catching up with sleep—he read everything he could get hold about Venice and Italy. His dad was really pleased with this new interest, and had even brought him volumes from the library and had bought others from the local bookshop to please his son. He liked to see him so enthusiastic about something.

“If you continue like this, you’ll be fluent in Italian in no time,” he had said, “this is good for you Kurt, I’m so glad you’re so interested in learning a new language and preparing yourself more. Study is always good no matter the subject, but I’m sure that with all the reading you've been doing, you’ll do just fine in history and geography.”

“Yeah, I know.” Kurt had replied, giving his dad a sweet smile.

The more Kurt learned about Venice and Italy, the more he knew it was different from _his_ Bellezza and the Kingdoms of Talia. For starters, in Bellezza it was silver that was valued, way more above gold, which was considered an inferior material. All the domes and mosaics of the great cathedral were made of silver and all the ornamentation back in the palace was bathed in the most shining kind of silver. When he had pointed this out to his new boyfriend, the young Prince had given him his characteristic snort followed by his recently new _‘you’re so adorable’_ eyes. “Of course it is, what did you expect? Gold tarnishes. You know, it goes black. It’s the _‘morte d’oro.’_ Doesn’t that happen in your world?”

“No,” Kurt had said, “it’s actually silver that goes black if you don’t clean it. Gold never needs cleaning.”

“We don’t clean silver here,” Blaine had said, sitting in Kurt’s lap and placing his head on Kurt’s chest, “we just polish it sometimes.”

Kurt obviously had begun to wonder what would happen if he took some gold, which was readily available and cheap in Bellezza, back to his world.

“Now you are beginning to think like a Smythe.” Raymond had scolded him, when he had asked him about it during one of their lessons.

Kurt had been horrified; he was not a Smythe, he was just curious to know how the taking stuff back and forth between worlds actually worked. “Sorry, you’re right. I’m just curious to know how the taking things between worlds thing works, does it work both ways?” He had asked. “I mustn't take anything back from here?”

“Only the book you brought with you,” Raymond had said. “And, maybe later on, when you are an adept, you might be chosen to take another talisman, some object which would help a future _itinerante_ make the journey from your world to ours.”

That thought of maybe sometime in the future being chosen as a _‘taker,’_ — _Did that word even exist?_ —of the talismans had left Kurt mortified. He couldn’t imagine ever being as much of an adept as Raymond. It was not a secret that he found the lessons hard to say the least. Half of the time he didn’t know what he was doing. There was a lot study about matter, energy and geology, but mostly Ray’s lessons were more like meditation sessions. Raymond was very keen to develop Kurt’s powers of concentration. “Empty your mind,” He would say, which Kurt found impossible. “Now focus on a point in the city. Visualize it. Describe it to me. Colors, smells, sounds, textures. This technique could be useful not only here, Kurt, but in your world too.”

This was an exercise Kurt got better at over time thanks to his afternoon wanderings with Blaine. There came a day when he was as familiar with the streets, ports and piazzas of Bellezza as he was with the streets, parks and alleys of Lima. However, Bellezza never lost its strangeness for him. The city was like a net. Its hundreds of little waterways were what held it together. The odd-shaped patches of land, linked to one another by a myriad of little bridges of wood or stone, were packed with tall thin houses, some grand and palatial, others poorer and more functional. Every tiny square had its own well, the natural meeting-place for all the locals. And much more of life was lived outdoors than in Kurt’s world.

He had had to remind himself that this city was functioning more than four hundred years in his past. There were no motorboats on the canals, no electric lights, no proper toilets. He got very used to hanging on till he got back to his own world, rather than tangle with the Bellezzans’ primitive plumbing; even in the palace the bathroom experiences were not what Kurt enjoyed the most. He knew that however fascinating he found the city, he was still a tourist, in time and space.

One thing that always managed to convince him of how long ago it was in Bellezza was when he shared some of his life in Lima with Blaine.

“You’re bantering me, right?” was Blaine’s perpetual exclamation in his proper way of speaking, whenever Kurt explained something about his world.

“Let me see if I understood. You’re saying that everyone has a box with moving pictures in it in their living room? And people of our age have one in their bedrooms too? And they can talk to their friends on the other side of the city without leaving the room? You’re bantering me, right?” Blaine had said.

There were some things Kurt had never managed to explain to him. The video games for one, which he simply couldn’t see the point of, and sports. The more Kurt tried to describe, in his limited knowledge of the games, the rules and the rituals, the more ludicrous they sounded in his own ears. “But why do they have to chase the ball?” Blaine had asked, and Kurt had had no answer for that.

On the other hand, the more Kurt learned about Blaine’s world, the more remote his life in Lima seemed. His boyfriend had told him about the city’s many festivals. The carnival, of course, he knew about from his own reading about Venice, and he had told him about the Blood ceremony on his first visit. But there were also _gondole_ races, rowing competitions, festivals of light where all the _gondoles_ carried torches, special bridges where ritual fights were staged between local gangs, the list went on and on. It seemed as if almost every week held some cause for celebration for the superstitious and volatile _lagooners_. And every festival was marked by huge feasts and wonderful displays of fireworks.

Kurt was lost in his own thoughts still looking at the yellow canary, when the door of his room cracked open.

“Hi, buddy!” His dad said, walking into the room wearing his peculiar huge warm-grin and spooking the little bird.

“Hi, dad! Morning!”

“Morning!” Burt replied enthusiastically. “You look happy today...did you sleep well?”

“Yes!” Kurt replied honestly. He had actually slept well. Following Raymond’s instructions and despite his and Blaine's complains, he had taken a night off of Bellezza. Ray had been worried about his health in both worlds and since Kurt had been traveling back and forth every night in the past three months, the old _itinerante_ had instructed him to take a full night of sleep, so last night Kurt had slept almost 12 hours straight.

“I’m glad to hear that...hmmm, Carole and I hmmm, we’ve been thinking, and we know that your life at McKinley is still a nightmare so…” Burt trailed off, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. And it was only then that Kurt noticed that his dad was holding a navy blue plastic folder. “We went to this private high school in Westerville where we think you might like to transfer and asked for some information. The tuition is a bit expensive, but we have some money we have been saving for some family vacations and we could use it to pay. You don’t have to worry about any of that, Carole is going to take a part-time job to help me with that, and Finn said he would help too. Here’s all you need to know, they even gave us some free pens and a pin.” The old man said, handing Kurt the folder.

Kurt stopped breathing, he had heard about this Dalton Academy, but never thought about transferring because first, it was a bit far from his house and second, it was really expensive.

“Dad…”

“Don’t say anything yet, Kurt, just read the information and think about it, okay? We have an appointment next week to talk to the principal and have the official tour around the school and all that. If you decide to transfer then you’ll be starting lessons there on January, so you still have some time to think about it. People there told us they could make all the paperwork during the holiday break, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Kurt swallowed slowly. Certainly the idea of transferring schools was appealing, but his friends and family were at McKinley and this was his last year there.

“Thanks, dad. Hmmm, I will read everything and let you know what I think.”

“Okay, yeah. Sure!” Burt exclaimed, standing up from the bed. “Breakfast is ready, so I’ll see you downstairs, okay buddy?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” Kurt said, while his dad walked out the room.

When the door closed behind his old man, Kurt let out a deep breath and opened the folder. It contained a lot of paperwork, some brochures, a fancy navy blue pen and a small copper pin of a warbler.

Kurt took the pin and played with it. _‘Do you want to transfer?’_ He questioned himself.

“I don’t know.” He whispered. If only he could transfer to Bellezza then the answer would definitely be yes.

o-o-o-o-o

Raymond was working at his laboratory, all the arrangements for the Ball were ready and he was just waiting for his apprentice to get there so they could finish the fireworks that they would be using that same night. He was so lost in his work that he didn’t even notice when Blaine entered the room using the secret entrance.

“Ray!” Blaine exclaimed, completely aware that he was going to startle the old _itinerante_ since the latter looked distracted.

“By the Lady, Blaine! You scared me to death!” Raymond exclaimed, placing a hand above his chest to try to ease his palpitations.

“Sorry?” Blaine said, trying not to laugh. “You seem a little bit off today...is everything okay? You’re usually not this distracted.” The boy said, while pacing around the room, touching everything that was at his reach.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Raymond lied. The truth is that he had woken up with a strange pressure above his chest. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be picking up your friends for their first formal invitation to the palace?” Raymond asked.

Since Blaine and Cooper had been allowed to go to town they had made three official visits, two with Raymond and the last one all by themselves. Since the first visit Blaine had arrived to the palace and shared with his parents that he had made some new friends of his own age. Richard and Pamela had seemed okay with that, so when Pamela had started to organize the Ball to celebrate the relocation of great, great grandmother Catherine's remains back in the family mausoleum, Blaine had asked permission to bring his new friends. His mother had just smiled at him and with her usual demeanor agreed to the idea, just asking Blaine to behave and not to do anything he could regret later. Blaine had just smiled and immediately sneaked out of the palace to share the good news with his best friends.

“Yes, but they are still arranging the carriage to take me to town, and I wanted to see if Kurt was already here…I kind of miss him.” He lied, he didn’t _kind of_ miss him, he missed him terrible. A day without seeing him had been a nightmare.

“He was just away for one day, Blaine. Please do not exaggerate and better confess that you are here because you want to spy on tonight’s fireworks.”

“Perhaps I did consider the advantages of coming here to look for him, but I do miss him...and-” he hesitated, “I also wanted to get a glimpse of tonight's fireworks. Why are you two keeping them as a secret?” He asked.

“Because surprises are meant to be a secret until it’s the right moment, Blaine. Believe me, you’re going to love them…Kurt’s been working very hard on this with me. There are some innovations he brought from his world that I’m sure will leave everyone speechless.”

Blaine smiled and tried not to show the real excitement he was feeling inside. In that moment, the door of the laboratory swung open and Giacomo came in.

“Master.” He said looking at Raymond. “Your Highness.” He added, making a small bow to Blaine. “Your serving-maid sent me for you, Your Highness, your carriage is ready and waiting for you.”

“Thank you Giacomo and please stop calling me _Your Highness_ , don’t you see that I’m not even that tall?” Blaine joked, and gave Giacomo a playful smile.

Raymond smiled warmly at the boy and gave his servant an encouraging nod.

“As you request, Your...Blaine.” Giacomo said.

Blaine smiled, and looked back at Raymond. “I guess I’ll have to see Kurt later, and see if I can persuade him to reveal me what those innovations are and what you prepared for the display.”

Raymond laughed. “What makes you believe that my apprentice is going to betray my trust? Who do you think you are, huh?” Raymond teased.

 _‘His boyfriend.’_ He thought. “I’m Your Highness.” Blaine joked. “And I have my ways of persuasion, you’ll see. Anyway, see you later. Can’t wait for Trent and Jeff to come here as my friends! I’m so excited!”

Raymond just smiled and watched the boy walking out the room—this time using the normal door—and closing the door behind him.

A few minutes later, the hidden mirrors that Ray used for communication and espionage, and which were usually covered, started to flash some weird code lights. Ray cursed in silence and walked to the far end of the room to see what was happening.

o-o-o-o-o

At night after having dinner with his family, Kurt hurried to his room and lay down in bed. He was anxious to go back and see his boyfriend. _‘Boyfriend...’_ Just the thought of being able to call someone like that sent a flood of butterflies to his tummy. One day of not seeing that handsome face and Kurt felt like it had been a month. Obviously nobody in Bellezza, except for Jeff and Trent who had discovered them one day, knew that they were now a couple. There were things far too complicated between them and they were waiting for the right moment to break the news to both their families and to Ray too because, _how do you explain that your boyfriend is from another world?_   So after almost three weeks of being a couple, they had managed to keep it as a secret—the most beautiful secret.

Lying in bed, Kurt let his mind relax a little. He had to go back to Bellezza as soon as possible. Today was a very special day. The palace was holding a special Ball to announce the new niche for Catherine Anderson at the Anderson’s mausoleum, and Kurt had promised Ray he would be there earlier to help with the remaining fireworks, even when he wouldn’t be able to stay to see them at night. He hated to miss the nightly festivities, but it was the price he had to pay. He couldn't even begin to imagine if one day his dad discovered his body lying unconscious in bed because Kurt had decided to stay until late.

Shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts, Kurt took a deep breath and focused his mind on Blaine, his handsome boyfriend. He thought about those hazel honey eyes that looked at him with such wonder, in that smile that managed to brighten all of his days—even when they were not in the same world—in those hands that hold him so close and made him feel safe, and that voice that pronounced the most beautiful words Kurt had ever heard.

With those images in mind, Kurt eventually fell asleep.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine arrived to town and immediately ran into the Nixon’s bakery where Trent and his father were already waiting for him. Trent was wearing a very elegant doublet that had surely belonged to his father when he was younger because it looked a little bit old fashioned.

“You look fantastic, my friend!” Blaine exclaimed sincerely.

“I think I look like a clown, how do you manage to dress like this every day?” Trent joked, but smiled warmly at his friend’s compliment.

“I’m not always dressed like that.” Blaine said, quickly giving his friend a hug and later shaking hands with Mr. Nixon.

“Thank you so much for inviting my son to your family’s Ball, Blaine. It was so generous of you. We feel really honored that our son is going to be there. This is the first time that a Nixon attends a Royal Ball and you don’t even begin to imagine who much this means to our family.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for, Mr. Nixon. Trent is one of my best friends and since now my family knows about them, there’s no reason for me not to invite them to my family events. I consider you all part of my extended family and I’m the honored one to have him there with me tonight.” Blaine said, trying to keep his emotions at bay. He was really happy to have his friends there, and he felt truly honored to introduce them to all his family and important people of the Kingdom.

“Thank you.” Mr. Nixon whispered, and Blaine could see the small tear that took shape in the corner of those big brown eyes.

“Your Highness?” One of the royal servants, who was escorting him, entered the small bakery.

“Yes?”

“We’re in a bit of a hurry, if Your Highness and your friend Mr. Nixon are ready, we could go to pick up Mr. Sterling. We need to be back at the palace for lunch with your parents before the Ball starts.”

“Thank you, Ender.” Blaine said, “Then let’s go, Trent! Time for you to officially meet the Queen and the King, aka my parents!”

With a huge grin on their faces, the two boys climbed into the Royal carriage and headed to the South side of the city to pick up Jeff, who just like Trent, was wearing his best clothes and waiting anxiously for Blaine to arrive.

Together the three friends arrived to the palace and were received by a very smiley version of Cooper, who despite already know them, faked to be delighted to meet Blaine’s new friends for the very first official time.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that Ray’s laboratory was strangely quiet and the old _itinerante_ was nowhere to be seen. Above one of the working tables there was a note addressed to Kurt.

_“Kurt, I had to attend some last minute diligence Doctor Lombardi entrusted me. I’ll be away for a couple of hours, but I’m hoping to be back a little after lunchtime. Giacomo has instructions to bring you food and everything you may need. Please continue with the fireworks by yourself, you already know how to make them. The instructions for the last set of pieces are by the blackboard next to the potions cabinet. Don’t worry; you’ll do just fine. I trust you. Blaine will be busy with Trent and Jeff’s first official visit to the palace, but I’m sure he’ll try to see you before the Ball, just be careful and stay hidden. Today a lot of prying eyes will be around the palace. We have to protect each other and our brotherhood. Anyway, I’ll see you later. Raymond. PS: Destroy this as soon as you read it.”_

Kurt sighed loudly and threw the note in the small fireplace, watching it burn within seconds. Walking to the potions cabinet, he found the instructions Ray had left for him, and knowing he had no other thing to do, he started to work on the last set of fireworks they were preparing for tonight’s Ball.

After some time, Giacomo entered the laboratory and left some food for him, Kurt smiled and started to eat. He had almost finished the remaining fireworks, but he wanted to wait for Ray to completely close the crates. He was about to read one of Raymond's science books when the door opened again and Blaine, followed by Trent and Jeff, entered the room.

“Kurt!” Blaine exclaimed, running and putting his arms around his boyfriend’s waist.

“Hello, stranger!” Kurt said, softly kissing Blaine’s lips.

“I missed you!” Blaine said, kissing him again but this time more passionately. Kurt lost his self-control and placed his hands around Blaine’s neck to hold him closer and deepen the kiss.

Trent cleared his throat and Jeff started laughing, apparently they had totally forgotten that there were more people with them.

“Sorry.” Kurt whispered, still recovering his breath.

Blaine laughed a little and hid his flushed face under Kurt’s neck.

“Don’t worry, Kurt, it’s fine we were just mocking you both.” Jeff said. “We knew this one was missing you like crazy. Yesterday he spent all day just talking about you, right Trent?”

Trent nodded. “Yes, we almost sent him to Padavia with you. By the way, how was it? Did you visit your aunt?”

For one second Kurt almost asked _‘what aunt?,’_ but then he remembered what they had told the boys about his sudden absence. “Yeah, she’s fine and the trip was very short, but good. I’m glad I’m back, though.”

“We are glad you’re back too!” Both Trent and Jeff said at the same time.

Kurt smiled at his friends and Blaine gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“But tell me guys, how was your meeting with the King and the Queen?” Kurt asked excitedly.

“Amazing!” Blaine exclaimed mirroring the excitement. He hadn’t let go of Kurt for one second, his arm was still holding the blue-eyed boy close to his body. “They both loved them and Cooper helped a lot, now we’re in the official tour around the palace, but I just wanted to see you. These two already know this place like the back of their hands, so we just did some touring so my parents didn’t suspect and we came here.” He said, leaning over and locking lips with Kurt again.

“You guys are so disgustingly cute together.” Jeff said, pacing around the lab. “I still don’t know how Signor Armati hasn’t discovered your little secret, I mean you two practically kiss with your eyes every time you look at each other.” The blond boy said, picking up a bowl with what look like silver glitter.

Kurt let go of Blaine and took away the bowl from Jeff’s hands. “I think it’s better if you don’t mess with this stuff, you don’t want to end up sparkling all night. This is the powder we use for the fireworks.” Kurt said, as a matter of explanation.

“Speaking of fireworks,” Blaine interfered, “are you going to tell me why you two have kept the set as a secret?”

“Because it’s a surprise, you’ll see why tonight.” Kurt said.

“That’s not fair,” Blaine complained, giving Kurt his special puppy eyes. “I’m your boyfriend, there must be some kind of advantage on that.”

“Of course there is,” Kurt said, walking closer to Blaine and caressing his cheek. “When you see them tonight, you’ll be the only one who will be able to say, _‘my boyfriend did that.’”_

Jeff and Trent burst out laughing and Blaine pouted dramatically. Kurt was kissing the pout away from his boyfriend’s face when the door of the laboratory opened again.

Kurt and Blaine immediately jumped a feet apart from each other, as Giacomo entered.

“Your-I mean, Blaine. Your parents are looking for you and your friends. They sent me to get you; they said they would be waiting at the Grand Salon. Apparently some of the guests are starting to arrive and they want you all there.” Giacomo informed.

“Thank you, Giacomo, we’ll be there right away, but, could you give us some minutes alone? We still have some things to discuss with Kurt.” Blaine lied. They didn’t have anything to discuss, he just wanted to be able to say goodbye to his boyfriend in the right way.

“Of course, I’ll be waiting outside.” Giacomo said, walking away and closing the door behind him.

“So…” Kurt said, “I guess I’ll see you later? I won’t be able to stay till the fireworks, but maybe we could see each other before the whole Ball starts?” He suggested.

“Definitely,” Blaine said, “I’ll meet you back here in a few hours, okay?” He said, leaning over and kissing Kurt again. He was never going to get tired of kissing those lips.

“Okay, okay...enough with the kissing.” Jeff interrupted. “We have to go, we won’t be able to see you later, but I guess we’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked Kurt.

“Yes, I’m looking forward for that trip to the islands.” Kurt said.

“Perfect!” Jeff exclaimed. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Kurt!” He said, giving Kurt a quick hug and walking to the door. Trent did the same and stood next to Jeff just waiting for Blaine to join them so they could go.

“I don’t want to leave you here by yourself.” Blaine said.

“Don’t worry, B. I’ll be fine. Ray said he would be here a little past lunch and I’ll probably go and spy on you from the secret passageways anyway to kill some time. I don’t feel very comfortable with all the Smythe’s around here.”

Blaine smiled, and using a teasing tone, he asked, “Is it just me or you sound a bit jealous?”

Kurt rolled his eyes and tried to look away, but Blaine grabbed his face and asked directly. “Are you actually jealous of Sebastian?”

Kurt rolled his eyes again. “No.” He said. “Well, yes...so what? You’re my boyfriend and he wants what’s mine. I think I have every right to feel a little jealous.”

Blaine laughed warmly and kissed Kurt. “That’s the most adorable thing in the world. And even when I love to hear that you’re jealous, I want to clear something up with you.” He said, “You don’t have to worry about anyone, ever, okay? For me you’re the only one, the only one, did you hear me? Sebastian means nothing. He's just the guy my family thinks I should marry to ensure another territory, but he's not you. There's no one like you, Kurt.”

Kurt nodded and gave Blaine a smile. He knew it, but it was always nice to hear Blaine said it out loud.

“Blaine.” Trent said, from afar. They weren’t listening to the conversation, but they knew they had to go.

“One second.” Blaine replied, and focusing his attention back to Kurt he said, “I’ll be missing you, okay?”

“I’ll be missing you too...now go, we don’t want to make your parents wait. Besides that outfit needs to be seen, I want all Bellezza to see how handsome my boyfriend is.” Kurt said, fixing Blaine’s lapel when a new idea came into his mind. “And since no one knows you’re mine, I’m going to make sure to send you a personal note for all Bellezza to see.”

“What are you talking about?” Blaine asked intrigued.

Kurt just winked, “Oh, nothing, B, but you’ll see it tonight.” He said, smiling playfully. “Now go...I have some important work to do.”

Blaine rolled his eyes playfully and kissing Kurt one last time, he walked to the door, and along with Trent and Jeff left the room, leaving Kurt smiling mischievously. He knew Blaine would love his new surprise.


	14. Chapter 14

Since Blaine had gone, Kurt had been working on a new set of fireworks completely from scratch. He knew Raymond was going to scold him later when he noticed what he had done, but he didn’t care. He wanted to have a way to claim Blaine as his own in front of everyone and since he couldn’t do it properly, he would have to do it using his recently acquired skills in the firework crafting sector.

“A little bit of blue and that’s it!” Kurt said, pouring the content of one of the mixing potions he had in the bowl where he was crafting the new set of fireworks.

Kurt mixed it with the rest of the powders and potions to later put it in one of the remaining empty boxes. Labeling it as, _‘ninfea,’_ or waterlily in Talian.

“Giacomo!” He yelled.

The servant immediately entered the room, “Yes, master?”

“I’m not your master, I’m just Kurt.” He said, now understanding why Blaine hated when people referred to him as something else than just his pile name, it felt odd.

“Sorry, yes Kurt?” Giacomo corrected himself.

“Do you know if Signor Armati is going to be here any time soon? I finished with the tasks he left me and I don’t know what to do next.”

“I don’t know. All the guests are arriving and he needs to be there, so I’m sure he will be back shortly. As for what you should do, I guess you could take a nap or I could bring you some more books from the library if you want.”

Kurt thought about it for a minute. “No, I’m fine. I’ll probably take a quick nap, but thank you, Giacomo.”

“You’re welcome, Kurt. Is there anything else you may need? I need to be at the door helping with the Ball, so I’ll be away in some minutes.”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you anyway.” Kurt said, giving Giacomo a smile and watching the man walk out the room.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt tried to actually take a nap, but since he had had a proper night of sleep back in his world he was not even remotely tired. A little bored of waiting for his master to come back, he decided to spy the Ball using the secret passageways.

He walked and walked until he reached the East wing of the palace. He knew that the Grand Salon was nearby, and even though the big event would take place in the courtyard, Blaine had told him that the reception toast was going to be hosted in the Grand Salon.

Kurt took a deep breath and used one of the spy holes to look at the flood of guests that were just arriving. He immediately spotted Blaine, with Trent and Jeff standing beside him, at the middle of the magnificent salon. Cooper was next to them wearing a green olive cloak and a black velvet doublet with a elaborated silver stitching. He looked really good, not as good as Blaine with his cherry cloak and that elegant dark jerkin, but Kurt couldn’t deny that Blaine’s brother was really handsome too.

The King and the Queen, were standing next to them, wearing their elegant clothes and Kurt found himself squealing at the sight of the Queen’s dress. It was gorgeous, simple, and elegant. Without a doubt this woman knew how to dress herself to highlight her best features, features that certainly both her sons had inherited. Richard Anderson was a very attractive man, but Pamela was a real beauty. She really looked like a Queen extracted from a fairy-tale book.

“Ambassador Rinaldo Smythe and his son, Lord Sebastian Smythe!” The servant by the door of the Grand Salon announced, and Kurt held his breath.

He didn’t know Sebastian yet, he had seen a painting of him in one of the books he had read about the two more powerful families in all the Kingdoms of Talia, but he hadn’t had the chance to see him in the flesh and he couldn't say he was excited by the idea.

A fifty something old man, wearing a very elegant gray doublet with a dark cloak, entered the room, followed by a very tall and quite handsome man. He was wearing a dark blue doublet and a white breech under a darker blueish cloak that highlighted his green eyes. He had copper hair and a big—and quite annoying—white-toothed smile.

The two men immediately greeted the Queen and the King, and stopped to exchange a few words with Cooper, who gave them his best polite smile.

Kurt took a new deep breath. It was time for the Smythe's to greet Blaine, and Kurt wasn’t sure if he wanted to see that, but he couldn’t find the power to tear his eyes away from those holes, so he kept watching.

Rinaldo Smythe was the first one to greet Blaine and his two friends. Kurt watched how graceful Blaine looked when he was in his Prince demeanor. The Ambassador exchanged a couple of words with him and then introduced his son to the three men. The tall man immediately flashed them with his annoying grin and shook Blaine’s hand, holding it for more than the statutory time required for a handshake. Well, that according to Kurt’s perception.

“Get away from my boyfriend.” Kurt whispered in the quietness of the hall where he was spying.

Blaine gave Sebastian a polite smile and the two Smythe men kept walking to great the rest of the members of the Anderson Royal family that were standing there. Thanks to his studies about the Kingdom and Talia, Kurt was able to recognize some of the important faces there, Felix Anderson duke of Giglia, Raphael Anderson count of Bellona, Salvatore Anderson Ambassador of Montemurato, and finally Andre Anderson viscount of Padavia. They all were Richard’s brothers and the rulers of the cities within the Kingdom controlled by the Anderson’s.

Kurt was lost keeping an eye on Sebastian and admiring all the Anderson’s and their respective families when a noise in one of the secret halls made him jump. For a moment he thought that someone had caught him, but then he thought about it. The only people in the palace who knew about the existence of the passageways were the King, Raymond, Blaine and three of the servants, Giacomo, Arnold and Agatha—Ray, Richard and Blaine’s personal servants.

The noise got clearer and now Kurt was sure that someone was walking nearby, probably through the hall that connected to the kitchen and services. Not knowing what else to do, he did what he thought it was best; he followed the mysterious stranger.

o-o-o-o-o

After some minutes of walking through the dark halls, Kurt was lost. He didn’t know in which part of the palace he was, but the smell of sewage was getting heavier, and he had to hold his breath as much as possible to avoid the gag reflex.

The sound of footsteps ceased and Kurt walked to the end of the hall to try to see who was the mysterious stranger. It was a young man, he was wearing the Royal servants’ clothes, but Kurt didn’t recognize him, and he didn't find that strange since he still didn’t know all the servants of the palace.

The young man seemed nervous while he opened the door that Kurt knew must led to some place outside the palace. The door cracked open and the man, instead of walking out, let somebody in.

 _‘Oh-uh’_ Kurt thought to himself; he had a bad hunch about this.

“You are late!” The new man scolded the palace employee. He had a harsh voice that made every fiber of Kurt’s body to tremble.

“I’m sorry, they sent me with the Prince to the city to pick up his friends, and then the butler sent me to the courtyard to help with some tables. Signor Armati is absent so it’s been a bit chaotic around here.”

“The Royal Advisor is not here?” The man asked surprised.

“No, he’s not. Nobody knows where he went, but he left this morning and hasn’t returned yet.”

“That’s perfect for our plans.” The other man exclaimed in excitement, and Kurt found himself leaning over to try to listen to every word of that mysterious conversation. “My masters have precise instructions for this task, and I think the absence of the King’s lapdog is very, very convenient to get this right.”

The palace servant hesitated a little. “I’m not sure if I want to do it anymore.” He said.

“You can’t back out right now, my masters are counting on you and you can’t disappointment them. Would you like to disappoint the most powerful man in all the Kingdoms of Talia?” The other man asked.

“No.” The servant whispered.

“Then don’t be a coward. You’re going to receive enough silver so you and your little family can live a life full of luxury.”

“But, what you’re asking me to do is risky.”

“We know and that’s why you’ll be rewarded for your work. Here, you can take this sack and you’ll receive three more when you have done what you’ve been hired for.” The man said, and even though Kurt couldn’t see it, he assumed the servant had agreed because he heard the noise of the sack of coins being moved and then nothing.

“Now, let’s get into business.” The man said, breaking the silence. “What my masters want you to do it’s pretty simple actually, and since it looks like the stars have aligned for this night to be special, I guess this will be the easiest money you’ve ever earned in your life.”

“Okay, I’m listening.” The servant replied.

 _‘I’m listening too.’_ Kurt thought to himself.

“You told us that the King has a special wine cellar, right?”

“Yes, the one in the library. He likes to drink a glass of that wine every day.”

“Well, all you have to do is poison the King’s favorite wine tonight taking full advantage of the commotion going on with the Ball.”

Kurt swallowed slowly when he heard that. Somebody wanted to kill the King, and Kurt didn’t have to think it twice to know who the masters of this mysterious guy were—the Smythe’s.

“How?” The servant asked.

“You’ll pour the whole content of this-” the man said, and Kurt peered through the wall to see what it was. It was a small glass bottle with some red funny-looking liquid, “-in Your Majesty's wine. One single drop is going to kill him immediately, but put the whole thing just in case, maybe if we’re lucky enough we could kill the whole Royal family with one bottle of wine. You know these Bellezzans, they love their wine.” The man said, laughing wickedly.

“Okay, then I’ll let you know when it’s done. I think the King will have his usual drink until tomorrow so don’t expect immediate results.”

“We know that newbie and my masters are expecting the death to happen tomorrow night. I’ll meet you back here tomorrow at midnight, so you can receive the rest of your money. Have a great evening and long live the King!”

The servant didn’t reply and just closed the door of the secret passageway. Kurt found himself trying to think straight. He had just heard a man asking one servant of the palace to kill the King and if he could the entire Royal family too.

 _‘Blaine...’_ He thought.

o-o-o-o-o

The servant started to walk down the opposite hall, and Kurt decided to follow him. He needed to see this servant’s face to be able to tell Ray who wanted to kill the King. The servant walked and walked until he stopped in front of a large wooden door. Kurt knew this door; it was the Library’s secret door.

Once the man entered the library, Kurt ran to one of the spy holes and looked inside. The young servant was making his way to the wine cellar and Kurt took those seconds to memorize his face.

The servant, with trembling hands, took out a bottle of wine and started to pour the red poison in it. While he was doing that, Kurt thought of a plan. As soon as the servant left the library he would sneak inside and steal the bottle so Ray could analyze its content and thus safe the King’s life.

The servant hid the empty glass bottle inside his robes, placed the bottle of wine back in its place, and walked out the library using the main door.

Kurt took a deep breath and entered the library, he was on his way to the cellar, located at the far end of the room, when the door of the library opened again and he immediately threw himself to the ground to hide from plain sight. Kurt heard the footsteps of whomever that was inside the room getting closer to him. Very carefully, he crawled to one side and hid behind a column to be able to see who this new visitor was, and to his surprise it was no other than the King—Richard Anderson.

Richard was walking to the cellar while he rubbed his temple; as if he was tired or with a terrible headache.

 _‘Maybe both.’_ Kurt thought.

The King took out a wooden box and put something inside it, closing the door of the cellar, and Kurt exhaled relived. _'Well done King...stay away from that wine.'_

But almost like if the King had read his mind, the man sighed loudly and opened the door of the cellar again, taking out the bottle of wine that the servant had just poisoned.

A lot of things went through Kurt’s mind while he watched the King pouring himself a glass of that lethal wine. Kurt knew what he had to do, but Ray’s words kept echoing through his mind.

_“...Never, ever, let anyone know you’re here. Not even the other servants. If you get caught they could send you to prison or worse condemn you to the gallows!”_

But the King was about to drink the poison, so without thinking it twice, Kurt left his hiding place and yelled, “don’t drink that!” Startling the King hard enough to make him spill the wine in the carpet. 


	15. Chapter 15

Raymond arrived to the palace and immediately approached his servant, Giacomo. The man was by the main gate helping with the carriages of all the guests.

“Giacomo!” He exclaimed.

“Master.” The man said, making a small curtsy.

“Come with me please.” Ray ordered him. “I need to ask you something in private.”

The two men walked to the side of the huge wooden gate to have some privacy. The old _itinerante_ looked nervous and Giacomo noticed it.

“Are you all right, master?”

Raymond hesitated. “I will be when I've talked to my apprentice, do you know where he is now?”

“Taking a nap at your laboratory, master. I left him there a couple of hours ago.”

“Oh, thank God! The Lady heard my prayers.” Ray exclaimed relieved. “Then I’ll go meet him, and then I’ll be back to help here. Please inform the King about my return and tell him I’ll be with him as soon as I can.”

“Yes, master." Giacomo said, walking away.

Raymond turned around and walked in direction to the North side of the palace. He was carrying a stars-chart that his master, Doctor Lombardi, had given him. They both knew that today marked the 16th phase of the 12th moon and Raymond feared the worst. All his divinations had pointed the number 16 and after consulting every detail with his master during his impromptu visit to Padavia, they were almost certain that something dangerous or bad could happen on this partially cold day.

When Raymond finally reached his laboratory he was hoping to find Kurt sleeping in the improvised small bed that they had settled there for him, but the _itinerante_ wasn’t there. Worried, Ray looked in the terrace, the storage and the hidden hall that connected to Blaine’s chambers, but Kurt was nowhere to be seen.

Sighing, we walked to the corner of the room and slid the curtain that hid his mirrors. Moving the levers, he looked for Kurt all over the palace. It was easier this way and there was no time to waste; if Ray’s hunch was true then the young _itinerante_ could be in danger.

“Where are you Kurt?” He murmured to himself, as he kept moving the levers adjusting them to look for Kurt in every single room in the palace.

The moment the library came into view, Raymond froze. Kurt was cornered in one of the bookshelves with a sword against his throat and a man apparently threatening to kill him. Ray quickly adjusted a second mirror in a new angle and focused the man with the sword. It was Richard Anderson.

“Oh, God!” Raymond exclaimed, and ran out the room, not even bothering to cover the mirrors. There was no time to waste, Kurt’s life was in danger.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt was watching his life pass before his eyes. No less than five minutes ago he had technically saved the King’s life and now the man wanted to kill him. He had tried to speak, but the King had shut him immediately pointing his sharp sword against his throat. Kurt could feel the blade leaving a mark in his very pale skin, but he was not worried about that, a mark was nothing against dying under the hand of his own boyfriend’s father.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” The King asked. “I want to know your name before I kill you!”

Kurt took a deep breath—well as deep as the sword against his throat allowed him to—and tried to find his voice. “I-I…” He trailed off. “I’m-” He was about to say who he was when the doors of the library swung open and Raymond walked in, wearing a worried expression.

“By the Lady, Richard, drop that sword please!” Ray demanded immediately. The tone of familiarity he used with the King caught Kurt off guard. Hearing the old _itinerante_ calling the King by his pile name was weird. He knew Ray and the King were friends, but every time he had referred to him during his lessons, he had always talked about him as Your Majesty.

“Please, Richard drop that sword! I’m sure my apprentice has a very good reason to explain his presence here.”

“Your apprentice? Do you know this boy?” The King asked, slightly turning his head to look at Ray, but leaving the sword where it was against Kurt’s throat, threatening his life.

“Yes, this is Kurt Hummel, my new apprentice, now please let him breathe and let’s hear his explanation.” The old _itinerante_ said, sending Kurt some furious eyes.

The King lowered his sword, but didn’t change his defensive posture. Kurt coughed a little when he tried to breathe again; he hadn’t noticed that his throat was dry.

“Are you okay, Kurt?” Raymond asked, walking near the boy and patting him in the back. Kurt just nodded; he was still trying to catch his breath. “What happened? What are you doing here?”

“He jumped out of nowhere and made me spill my wine!” The King answered, even when the question hadn’t been addressed to him.

The tone the man used made Kurt clinch his fists. He had just saved this man’s life and he seemed to be more concerned about the wine he hadn't been able to drink than the fact that Kurt had just done something heroic.

“I saved your life!” Kurt finally said.

“You what?” Raymond and Richard asked at the same time.

“I saved his life!” Kurt repeated. “Someone poisoned the wine he was about to drink. I knew you had told me to stay hidden all the time, but I couldn’t let him drink that.” Kurt explained. “That’s why I made him spill it.”

Ray and Richard looked at each other. The expression and the posture of the King had changed completely.

“How did you know it was poisoned?” The King asked, looking intently at the boy. Ray looked at Kurt also waiting for an answer.

Kurt took a deep breath and finally explained what happened from the moment he had left the laboratory and wandered through the passageways, to the moment he had seen the man.

“I wanted to see the reception of the Ball, so I used the secret passageways. The Remora Ambassador was just arriving when I heard I wasn’t alone at the hidden hall and I followed the noise. It was a servant of the palace, but none of the ones who know the existence of the secret passageways. He was young and-” Kurt started to describe him, but thought it was better to get to the point before the King tried to kill him again. “Anyway, I memorized his face to be able to recognize him later. He walked, I think Southwest, and I followed until we reached a door and he let a man in, he was wearing a dark cloak so I couldn’t see his face. They talked and the man gave the servant a small glass bottle telling him that he had to pour the whole content in the King’s favorite wine. The man said that a single drop was enough to kill him, but they were hoping to kill the entire family with that wine, so he asked the servant to make sure the whole content was there. Then the man gave the servant some silver coins and told him to come back to that same door tomorrow to receive three more sacks when the King was dead. Apparently they weren't, or better said, they aren't expecting the King to actually want to drink from his wine today since the Ball is on and everything, so...”

“Those bastards.” Ray muttered.

“Then I followed him again. I thought he was going to put the money they had given him somewhere safe, but he came straight here and well, he poured the poison in the wine and when the King entered I was on my way to steal the bottle and took it to your laboratory Ray, so you could analyze its content. When the King entered I thought it was the servant who had regretted what he had done, but it was not. So I stayed hidden hoping that whomever it was just left the room, so I could took the wine, but the person turned out to be him,” Kurt said, looking at the King, “and he poured himself a glass of the wine and well...you all know the rest.” He finished his explanation.

The King was speechless. He lifted his right hand and did the good fortune sign as a way to protect himself from the bad fortune that seemed to be following him.

“You actually saved my life.” The King murmured, and Kurt just nodded.

Ray walked to the cabinet and took the bottle of wine, quickly smelling its content. “This must be a very strong poison. This wine smells just like any good Bellezzan wine. I’ll have to take it to my laboratory to analyze its content, but if they said a single drop could kill him then we should be very careful, we don’t know with what kind of powerful mixture we’re dealing with.”

Kurt just nodded, and suddenly the guilt of having disappointed his master took over him. “I’m sorry, Ray.” Kurt apologized. “I know I have disappointed you. You asked me to stay hidden, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know what else to do...I didn’t think it twice, I guess.” He said, lowering his gaze a bit ashamed.

“Don’t!” The King immediately exclaimed. “You saved me!” He said, surprising Kurt with a strong handshake. He was suddenly very grateful, the incident with the sword was now long forgotten.

Kurt looked up and smiled at the man, and just when he was about to say something the secret door of the library cracked open and Blaine walked in.

“What are you doing here?” Raymond immediately asked.

"Kurt!” Blaine exclaimed, ignoring the old _itinerante_ and looking exclusively at Kurt.

“Do you know him?” The King asked, sounding not so surprised. Of course his son knew the mysterious apprentice. Blaine tended to get himself in a lot of trouble just like he had done back when he had been his age.

Blaine just nodded and walked near Kurt to make sure he was okay. Kurt just looked at him and nodded. He wanted to throw himself into his arms, but he knew he couldn’t.

“Blaine, what are you doing here?” The old _itinerante_ asked again.

“I went to see Kurt to your laboratory and I saw your mirrors and-” Blaine trailed off. He couldn’t stop looking at Kurt. He wanted to make sure he was completely fine. When he first saw the mirrors his father had his sword against his boyfriend’s neck while Raymond stood there apparently doing nothing to protect his boyfriend. From what he had gotten from that image Kurt’s life was in danger and Blaine had feared the worst. “What happened here?” He asked.

“Someone tried to kill your father, Blaine, and Kurt saved him.” Ray explained.

“What!?” Blaine asked surprised, looking at his father for the first time. The man was pale and there was a stain of wine on the light carpet next to him.

“Someone poisoned the wine and Kurt stopped your father from drinking it. Then your father, who obviously didn’t know Kurt, tried to kill Kurt, but I arrived just in time.”

“But, who would do that? I mean try to kill my father.” Blaine asked, running next to his father and hugging him tightly. Knowing he had almost lost him left him feeling uneasy.

Raymond and Kurt looked at each other, they both knew who had planned this whole attempt of homicide.  

“You think?” Raymond questioned Kurt aloud.

“I don’t know...the man just asked the servant if he wanted to disappoint the most powerful man in all the Kingdoms of Talia and talked about some masters, in plural.”

Raymond frowned.

“The most powerful man in all the Kingdoms of Talia is my father.” Blaine said, as a matter of fact. There were other Kings, from the neighbor Kingdoms, but none Kingdom was as powerful as his father’s.

“No, I’m not.” Richard said, and looked at Raymond. “The Pope is...you think Francesco and Rinaldo had something to do with this?” He asked Raymond.

“We won’t know for sure until we have captured the servant, you want me to go and look for him with Kurt?”

Richard shook his head. “No, the boy said he heard they were expecting for this to happen tomorrow, let’s give them some time so they think they are winning. Meanwhile, we can try to guess their plans and with some luck stop them before a real tragedy happens to this family.”

“But, why kill the King?” Kurt asked out loud. “Isn’t that the stupidest thing ever? I mean, if the King died then the Queen would take over the city, right? So, why killing him now? What’s the urge? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Richard and Blaine shrugged, but Raymond spoke up. “You’re right, Kurt, it doesn’t make any sense. Especially if we take into account that both families have been talking about the arranged marriage between Blaine and Sebastian-” Raymond was saying, when he noticed the way Blaine and Kurt were looking at each other even from the two opposite sides of the room where they were standing. Suddenly he knew and understood more than a few seconds before.

 _‘Oh God! That look! The lovers...’_ He thought to himself, remembering his divinations.

And without revealing anything about his sudden discoveries to the boys, he continued. “It’s a dangerous move that I’m sure they didn’t think thoroughly. Fortunately for us, Kurt, you were here to save the day. We will have to plan something very carefully to be able to use it against them.” The old _itinerante_ said. “Now, Kurt...Blaine, could you please return to my laboratory and wait for me there? I need to talk to the King in private.”

“But-” Blaine started to complain, but his father shut him immediately.

“Blaine, please do what Ray says. We need to talk about certain things. I promise you that you both will be informed about everything. After all, we are all in this together.” The King said. He looked more self-confident, but there was still that spark of fear flashing through his eyes. The one you have when someone tried to kill you.

“Come on Blaine, let’s do what they said.” Kurt said, motioning Blaine to follow him through the secret door. Blaine nodded and walked to the door.

Richard turned around and took a sit at one of the chairs and Ray sat next to him. When the boys were closing the secret door behind them Ray noticed that they were holding hands and just took a deep breath. Now he was sure something else was going on between them.

When the door finally closed, Richard sighed loudly. He was suddenly very tired.

“Why, Ray? Why try to kill me now?”

Ray took a deep breath before replying. He had a theory he wanted to share with the King. “They’ve been following the boys.”

“What?” Richard questioned, not following his friend.

“Did you notice the way the boys were looking at each other right now? I think something beyond a friendship is happening between them. They’ve known each other since the _cerimonia di sangue_ parade.” Raymond lied; he couldn’t reveal that they had met on the actual ceremony. “And I think there was something special between them since the beginning. I haven’t noticed it until now…the Smythe’s must have been following them and thought that maybe the arranged marriage was in jeopardy. That's the only theory I have at the moment.”

“Wait! Are you telling me that Blaine is in love with your new apprentice?”

“I’m afraid he is, and Kurt must love him back. But that’s not our biggest problem right now.” Raymond said, matter of factly.

“No? Then what is it?” Richard questioned, not having a clue of what could be worse than that.

“If they have been following them, then they must know that Kurt has no shadow.”

Richard’s face turned even paler than it already was. “That boy is one of yours? For real?”

“Yes...didn't you see his features? He’s not from here of course, he's from the other world. A place named America. At first I didn’t know why he had been chosen to come here, but now that he's saved your life, I’m sure that that was the reason why the boy came to us. All my divinations pointed to some great danger, the Royal family and the number 16. This morning I had a very important conversation with my master and after trying to analyze everything, we were afraid something bad could happen to the boy today since it’s the 16th phase of the twelfth moon. Guess we were partially right, but not really.”

“Does Blaine know about the boy being from that world?” Richard asked.

“Yes.” Ray confessed. “He was the one who met him when he first arrived to the city. In fact, if Blaine hadn’t been there I would have never known we had a new _itinerante_ , we didn’t choose Kurt, the talisman chose him.”

“This is bad.” Richard said, rubbing his temple. “If one of the Smythe’s discovers that I know about your brotherhood and tell the people of the cities that I’m protecting you, they are going to ruin me!”

“I know.” Ray whispered. He was well aware of that, maybe the great danger the cards were warning him about was now gone, but he was sure that a greater threat was still yet to come. He could feel it in his bones.

o-o-o-o-o

After almost half and hour of been waiting for Ray to come back, Kurt and Blaine had already talked about the incident and tried to analyze every possible angle to plot a reasonable theory about why the Smythe’s had tried to kill the King.

“Do you really think that’s the reason why they did it?” Kurt asked his boyfriend, while he burned some of the pieces of parchment they had used to write down the theories.

“Yes! What other reason could they have? It’s that or-” Blaine was saying when Ray entered the laboratory.

“When were you two planning on telling me you were...are  a couple?” The old man said, looking at both boys with some menacing eyes.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other. _How had he discovered them?_   They didn’t know.

“We’re not a-” Blaine started to say, but trailed off.

“Don’t lie to me, okay? You two have caused enough troubles already. I want the truth.”

“We didn’t know how to break the news.” Kurt said, not looking at the old _itinerante_ in the eyes. He still found him intimidating.

“Yes, we wanted to, but we thought it was better to keep it this way.” Blaine reassured.

“Well, your little lie almost cost the life of the King tonight. And now thanks to that you may probably never be together…for real.” He told them, and Kurt and Blaine looked at each other with worried expressions.

“What!?” Blaine asked.

“Blaine it’s obvious that with what just happened the Smythe’s are going to try to rush things between you and Sebastian. Just think about it, tomorrow when they hear that the King didn’t die as he was supposed to they are going to get mad, and worse they’ll try to cover their backs...and, do you know how they are going to do it?” He questioned the boy.

“By pretending things are normal and setting a date for the wedding.” Kurt murmured. He had suddenly understood the whole thing.

“Exactly.” Raymond confirmed.  

“But I don’t want to marry Sebastian!” Blaine started to complain.

“I know you don’t want to, Blaine, but right now you don’t have much of an option. This is what happens when you hide things from me!” He scolded the boy.

"But it was not our fault that they tried to kill my father!" Blaine complained.

"It is, partially." Raymond said. "I think they have been following you...they must have thought the arranged marriage was in jeopardy."

Kurt and Blaine shared concerned looks. This whole thing didn't look good.

“What can I do? What can we do?” Blaine asked desperately.

Ray looked back and forth between Kurt and Blaine, who were now holding hands, and his expression softened. Even though this relationship represented all kinds of troubles for him, he was in a way happy to see them so in love. It was so obvious they were meant to be together that he wondered why he hadn't noticed it before.

“I don’t know yet, Blaine. We have to think about it thoroughly, but for now try to calm down and go back to the Ball, your father needs you there and I guess he will give you instructions about how to act with the Smythe’s and especially with Sebastian...I guess that it's better if you do as you’re told for once, and…” He said, looking at Kurt, “Kurt? Did you finish the fireworks?”

“Yes, I did. They are all packed and ready to explode.” Kurt joked, trying to lighten the mood a little. “I’ll tell Giacomo to load them into your _gondole_ as soon as he’s here.”

“Thank you.” Raymond said. “I have to go back to the reception. The Ball is about to start and when all the guests are in the courtyard I’ll come back. Kurt I need you to stay here as long as you can so we can talk about the servant you saw. We need to identify him, okay?”

“Yes, I’ll be here.” Kurt said.

“Okay, then I’ll see you both later. Blaine, stay here until you feel calmer, but please don’t take too long. Your father needs you there.”

“Okay.” Blaine whispered, while the man walked out the room and closed the door behind him.

As soon as they were alone, Blaine started to cry, burying his head on Kurt’s neck. “I don’t want to marry him!” He said, between sobs.

Kurt didn’t know what to say, so he stayed in silence for a couple of minutes just letting his boyfriend cry out his fears.

“I don’t want to marry him.” Blaine kept repeating.

“Blaine…” Kurt finally said. Blaine looked up, and Kurt continued, “I know this is not what you want to hear right now, but we were doomed to be apart anyway.”

“What?” Blaine asked a bit shocked.

“Don’t take it like that, okay? It’s just that well...we belong to two very different worlds. We were destined to be apart.”

“No, we’re not.” Blaine said, wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “I was actually planning on asking you to bring me a talisman from your world so I could be with you forever.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’ve been thinking about it since the first time I saw you doing it, then...when this started,” he said, grabbing Kurt’s hand, “I knew I couldn’t be apart from you, but I was just waiting for the right moment to suggest this crazy idea to you. I know it would mean a lot of trouble for you in your world and everything, but I think that now more than ever we have to do it...well, of course only if you want to.”

“Of course I want to!” Kurt exclaimed, suddenly very excited by the idea of having Blaine in his own world. His mind was already planning all the trips they would make and the places they would visit. “The only problem we have is that well...I still don’t know how to do it properly. I’ve read about it, but I could try to ask Ray without revealing our plan.”

“So, are you actually going to help me?” Blaine asked, smiling broadly for the first time since the incident.

“Yes! I’d love to have you with me forever!” Kurt confessed.

“And ever.” Blaine said, leaning over and kissing Kurt. “I love you!” Blaine suddenly said. It was the first time he pronounced those words to him. He had known it since the first time he had seen him, but now it felt right to express it out loud because it was nothing but the truth. Blaine loved him.

“I love you too.” Kurt said, blushing a little and leaning over to kiss his boyfriend again. He was a bit overwhelmed by the day he had just had, and even when he had imagined something very different for the moment when they said each other _'I love you,'_ he couldn’t have hoped for a more appropriate time for them to confess their love for each other.

The kiss intensified and Kurt, a little light headed, mumbled, “Hmmm, Blaine?”

“What is it, my love?” Blaine asked between kisses.

“You-you hmmm...you have to go back.” He said, trying with all his will to tear his lips away from Blaine’s.

Blaine breathed out a small laugh. “Yes, you’re right...although I don’t want to. I’d rather stay here with you.”

“Believe me that I want that too, but Ray is right. Your father needs you there with him. He just went through a very shocking moment, you have to be there for him.”

“Okay, yes...I’ll go.” Blaine said, standing up and straightening his clothes. “But before I go, I have to thank you for saving my father’s life. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”

“It was nothing, and I’m glad I was there spying on you, because thanks to that your father is okay.”

Blaine smiled broadly, pulled Kurt from his chair and kissed him again. “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!”

Kurt laughed. “I love you too...you don’t even know how much!” Kurt confessed, locking lips with the curly-haired boy again. When they broke apart, Kurt whispered, “Pay attention to the last set of fireworks, okay? They are just for you.”

Blaine’s eyes snapped open with surprise. “Really?”

“Yes, it was a last minute surprise, but now, go!” He said, pushing Blaine toward the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Think about me when you see those lights touching the sky.”

“You don’t have to ask me that. I’m always thinking about you! Always!” Blaine replied with a smile.

“Good to know, because I’m thinking about you all the time too. Now go! I love you!” Kurt said, kissing his boyfriend one last time and closing the door of the laboratory.


	16. Chapter 16

Richard Anderson was at the entrance of the magnificent and finely decorated courtyard. He was calmer after the incident, but his blood still boiled with rage, _how was he supposed to face the Smythe’s and act like if nothing had happened when just a few minutes ago they had tried to kill him?_ He was lost in his own thoughts, when his oldest son stood next to him and gave him a small pat on the back, startling him a little.

“It’s a lovely evening, isn’t it father?” The young Prince said.

“It is, my son.” Richard agreed. “And I have to congratulate you for the wonderful work you did with the niche at the mausoleum. Your uncles and aunts are very pleased with the result as well. You did an excellent job, my son. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you father, having your approval means a lot to me, but the credit is not all mine. The idea of adding those flying buttresses and the stained glass was all Blaine's, he has a very keen eye for that kind of things.” Cooper said.

“Well, I’ll have to congratulate him as well later.” Richard said, still looking over at the Ball taking place before him.

“Where did you go a few minutes ago, father? Uncle Raphael was looking for you. He said something about wanting to discuss some businesses from Bellona with you.”

“I had a small headache and went to refresh myself a little...nothing serious.” The King lied. It was not the right time to share what had really happened with his son, or his wife for that matter. They had to capture the servant and the man who had given him the poison first.

Cooper frowned a little. He was not buying the explanation, but decided to not inquire any further. He knew his father all too well to tell when he wasn't going to get anything else from him.

“But, are you feeling better?” Cooper asked.

“Yes, don’t worry. Now go and have fun. I’ll see you later, okay?” Richard said, and Cooper walked away just at the same time that Blaine was arriving. The two brothers smiled at each other, and Blaine reached his father.

“Father?” Blaine said. “Could I have a word with you?”

“Of course, my son, what is it?” The King asked. He was acting as if nothing had happened and Blaine needed to make sure his father was okay.

“Are you all right after what happened?”

“Yes, Blaine, I’m fine.” The King said, giving his son a reassuring smile. “And I want to ask you a favor.”

“Anything, father.”

“Please don’t tell you mother or brother anything of what happened a few minutes ago, okay? I want to wait until we have the two men captured to talk to them. You know your mother, I don’t want to worry her...and there’s no need to get Cooper into this mess yet. There’s plenty of people immersed already, we don’t need to risk any more necks.”

“Yes, father. Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing.”

“Thank you, I appreciate your discretion.” Richard said. “And Blaine?” The King added, lowering his voice a little. “You know that what happened today was a very unfortunate event, and things between their family and ours will just get more tense when they discover that their plan didn’t work out, so I want you to do what you have to do and start courting Sebastian Smythe.”

“But-” Blaine started to complain. He didn’t want to do it.

“I know you’d rather do that with that Kurt boy, but please, Blaine, I don’t want to force you. We’re in a lot of trouble right now and you need to be the Prince of this Kingdom and do whatever it takes not to lose it.”

“I love him.” Blaine said. He didn’t have to say who, Richard knew of whom they were talking about.

“You're still young, Blaine. And I don't doubt that you feel something for that boy, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good. We have a whole Kingdom that depends on us, it's our responsibility to protect it. So tonight we have to show that family that we're smarter than them, and do what we have to do. I’m not asking you to drop down on one knee yet, am I?”

Blaine shook his head, and tried not to roll his eyes. His father had clearly said, _yet_.

“I’m just asking you to start courting him. Be nice to him, invite him to dance or have a walk around the gardens...something like that. I think he’s going to use the same strategy tonight, so maybe it’s not going to be so hard. Just follow him and smile when he talks to you. I’ve seen the way you treat him and it’s not even polite.”

“I don’t like him.” Blaine snapped.

“I don’t like him either, but we must never forget our manners.”

“Okay, father. I’ll do what you’re asking me, but I won’t do anything else. I don’t like him and-” Blaine was saying, when his mother approached them.

“Oh, there you are! I’ve been looking for you both! It’s time to make the first toast my dear, and Blaine? Don’t leave your friends all alone. They don’t know all the etiquette's about the Balls, go with them and maybe introduce them to some of your cousins.”

“Yes, mother.” Blaine said, walking away.

“Blaine!” The King called him. “I’m counting on you, okay?”

Blaine sighed. “I know father.” He said, resigned. “I know.”

o-o-o-o-o

A servant carrying a tray with glasses of one of Bellezza’s most valued white wines approached a table. A group of three men who were seated next to their respective wives were talking animatedly.

“May I offer you a new drink, my lords? My ladies?” The servant said, making a small bow as he leaned the tray.

“Thank you.” Rinaldo Smythe said, grabbing one of the glasses. “Is tonight’s wine part of the King’s private collection?” He asked.

“Oh no, my Lord,” the servant said, “that collection is private. I’ve heard it's reserved just for him.” The servant said, looking at the Reman Ambassador directly in the eye.

Rinaldo Smythe smiled mischievously. “Well, too bad. I’ve heard he has the best wines in all Talia.” The Ambassador said, clinking his glass with the man next to him. “Rumor has it, he has wines to die for.”

The other two men laughed.

“Here…” He continued. “To the King.”

“To the King!” They all repeated, clinking their glasses in the air and drinking the bubbly drink, as the servant walked away with a grin playing around his lips.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine was lost in conversation with Jeff and Trent. After having filled his friends with the lastest news, the three men had been trying to think of new theories behind the incident, and solutions for the imminent arranged marriage that they all knew was going to happen sooner or later. Jeff and Trent practically knew everything about Blaine’s life and some about Kurt’s too. Well everything except that the young _itinerante_ was from another world, but apart from that the two young boys were the only ones who completely understood the depth of Kurt and Blaine’s love. They knew they were meant to be together, but they were also aware that Blaine had responsibilities as a Prince that may or may not include their friend marrying someone he didn’t love.

“You could run away, we could hide you in some of the islands. I could ask my Nonna to help us. I’m sure she won’t mind, she’s old and although she still has Nonno, they are alone. Her house is not a palace, but I’m sure you’d like it.”

“That’s a good idea, Jeff,” Trent agreed, “but our families would be the first places where they would look for him. If we want this to work, maybe he should go back to Amerighi with Kurt.” Trent said.

Blaine smiled; his friends didn’t know how close they had gotten to the real plan. “That’s what I proposed him today, actually.” Blaine said.

“You did?” Trent and Jeff, both asked in surprise.

“Yes, and…” Blaine said, lowering his voice a bit, “...he said, he would make some arrangements. So maybe we will end up just doing that, though I’m still hoping to convince my father to throw away that idea of the arranged marriage.”

“I hope that too because I’ll hate that you both had to go and-” Trent was saying, when Jeff interrupted.

“Royal serpent...11 o'clock.” Jeff said, noticing that Sebastian was making his way towards them. Jeff always called Sebastian or any of the Smythe's serpents because the Smythe’s Coat of Arms was a serpent making the shape of an ‘S’ and he said it suit them.

“Blaine!” Sebastian exclaimed excited. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Hello again, Sebastian.” Blaine replied politely.

“Ouch, Sebastian.” The tall boy said, being very flirty. “Why don’t you just call me Seb, huh? I like it better…Sebastian sounds so formal.”

“Maybe later, Sebastian.” Blaine said, trying to be as polite as possible.

“Okay fine, and maybe then I’ll start calling you just, B.” Sebastian said, flashing his perfect white-toothed smile.

 _‘Never!’_ Blaine thought. That was how Kurt—his boyfriend—called him sometimes and he wasn’t going to let this Smythe to start calling him like that. “Actually, I like my whole name...I’m not fond of nicknames.”

“As you wish.” Sebastian said, trying to sound indifferent. “I was wondering, would you like to sit with me to watch the fireworks? Bellezza it’s known in all the Kingdoms of Talia for their always spectacular fireworks displays, we don’t have that kind of displays back in Remora.”

Blaine almost said no, but he remembered he had promised his father he would at least try to be polite. “Signor Armati is our best firework craftsman and he always manages to leave us all stunned. I was planning on watching the fireworks with my friends and special guests Jeff and Trent, you are free to join us if you so wish.” Blaine said.

“Okay, that sounds good to me, but maybe we could take a small walk just the two of us? We will be back in time for the fireworks, I just want to talk to you some more.”

Blaine clenched his teeth, and remembering his father’s last words to him, he agreed. “Sure, okay...we could walk for a while.” He said, resigned to play this courting game. “We will see you in some minutes, my friends.” He said, looking at his friends and walking away with Sebastian.

o-o-o-o-o

After using Raymond’s mirrors and showing him the servant who had tried to kill the King, Kurt returned to his world. He opened his eyes and looked around, it was still very early in the morning and it was Sunday, so he was sure that all his family was still asleep. Sinking his head in the pillow, he took a very deep breath and placed his notebook on the nightstand. It had been quite a day back in Bellezza.

He let his mind to remember everything that had happened, from saving the King’s life to Blaine’s plan of coming to live to this world with Kurt.

“Oh God…” He murmured in the silence of the morning.

Kurt knew he would have to make a lot of arrangements for that to happen, but he also knew he would manage. It was going to be hard, but not impossible. And he had to be honest with himself...sharing a life with Blaine was his best motivation, but right now he was just too tired to try to think of a plan. So, setting up his alarm, Kurt closed his eyes and tried to catch some real hours of sleep. He knew that as soon as he woke up he would be able to think straight about everything, and find the best solution for them.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine was still walking with Sebastian trying to pay attention to what the boy was saying. The young Smythe was talking about the annual horse races that took place in Remora, and although Blaine loved those races, he found Sebastian's voice extremely annoying.

"So maybe you could come next year to the races and sit with us as our special guest. This year's race was very exciting..." Sebastian trailed off, noticing that Blaine was not entirely paying him the attention he demanded.

"Blaine?"

"Yes?" Blaine replied distracted.

"You weren't paying attention, were you?"

"Yes," Blaine lied, "but the fireworks are about to star." He said, pointing to the distance where Ray's _gondole_ was sailing of to reach the mouth of the great Canal.

"Okay, well...then, let’s get back to where your friends are."

Fortunately, Jeff and Trent were nearby and it only took them one minute to find them among the guests.

"We were looking for you...hmmm, for you two." Jeff added politely, including Sebastian to the group.

"The display is about to start and Raym- I mean Signor Armati told us that we better don’t miss a single one of them. He said, there were going to be spectacular." Trent added.

"I bet they'll be, they always are.” Blaine said smiling. And just in that moment the first light touched the sky. It was a stars shower of all kinds of blues, yellows and greens all mixed together.

The whole crowd aww-ed and clapped the moment the light-stars disappeared in the water. Blaine smiled and looked over his shoulder to spot the _gondole_ on the water, where Ray was making the magic happen.

“It’s just starting.” Trent murmured to the boys, and just like a cue another explosion broke the silence and a flood of pink rockets that seemed to come out of the canals disappeared in the high clouds. People started to clap enthusiastically, but that set wasn’t over. From the clouds some pink lightning started to emerge and after a loud thunder a glittery silver rain started to wash the city.

“Oh my God.” Blaine whispered, lifting his hands to try to catch the glitter, but it dissolved before it could reach the ground.

“That was beautiful!” Jeff exclaimed excitedly. “Where did Ray get that idea? I mean, a glitter rain?” He questioned out loud, and Blaine already knew the answer. That had not been Ray’s idea that had been Kurt’s.

 _‘My boyfriend did that.’_ He thought, remembering Kurt’s words and smiling to himself.

“How does he do that?”  Sebastian asked surprised.

Blaine just shrugged while the usual Reman candles; the rockets, shooting stars and Catherine wheels exploded in the sky.

The people gathered around the courtyard clapped excitedly. Meanwhile, in the sky the images of the phoenix, the sea serpent, the winged horse and the bull were being reflected in a wave of lights and stars.

“Now the closing!” Trent clapped with anticipation. There was usually one last set after the four sectors of the city had been represented.

The sky went black for a couple of seconds and then a huge explosion showered the entire town, and from the sea a huge light emerged creating the image of a woman with a rainbow colorful hair. The woman looked like Queen Catherine II and the people cheered excitedly, while a skein of silver birds flew across the sky making dances around her. The image of the late Queen stayed in the sky just changing color, and then from one of her eyes a single tear fell and the moment it touched the sea a big wave of stars forming the Anderson’s Coats of Arms exploded in the sky making the Queen to disappear while a huge letter ‘A’ dissolved into the sky.

The people went wild with cheerful exclamations, the exhibition had been beautiful, but Blaine was a little disappointed. Kurt had told him there was a special message for him, and he hadn’t seen anything _‘meaningful’_ for him. The exhibition itself had been breathtakingly beautiful, but he was hoping for something more special, something just for him. And just when the applause had ceased, the sky thundered once more.

“Another one?” Jeff questioned out loud. But Blaine didn’t reply, he looked to the sky and tried not to blink.

This new and apparently final set started with a simple white shower of shining stars that dissolved into the sea, followed by some spinners and willows that after a colorful display formed what looked like a nest in the bottom part of the sky. From the shining nest two set of birds one blue and one golden, emerged and started to fly in matching and graceful moves around the sky, leaving a trail of glitter strobes that exploded as they crossed paths. The show was beautiful and four of the men watching the display that night knew perfectly well what those birds really meant, or better said, who they represented.

The two birds flew up above the clouds and just below the moon they crashed into each other, exploding like a brocade in the most colorful form of a waterlily.

“Oh my God!” Blaine whispered, while some tears welled up in his eyes.

The flower continued shining for a couple of seconds before it slowly disappeared, leaving the words _‘per sempre’_ shining in the sky.

_‘Forever...’_

The sky went completely black and Blaine thought his heart would stop. With the commotion of the crowd going mad about the last fireworks his boyfriend had created just for him, nobody noticed the tears that had started to fall from Blaine's cheeks. Kurt had managed to send him a message that their love would last forever, even when everybody around him was thinking the message had been that Queen Catherine II will forever live in their hearts, but Blaine knew better. Kurt had made it very clear, the two birds that crossed paths and collided into each other were them, and the proof was the waterlily. It had been what Blaine had given him before their first kiss.

A huge smile spread out across Blaine's face and he felt one of his friend’s arms hugging him tightly in a sympathetic gesture.

“That was magnificent!!” Trent exclaimed, and Blaine just could nod in agreement because it was true. That had been magnificent and all he wanted right now was to see Kurt and kiss him until his lips hurt.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt finished his breakfast and although he was still tired and wanted to sleep some more, he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened back in Bellezza, and he knew he had to start making the proper arrangements for Blaine to move to his world. The idea was as crazy as it sounded, but Kurt couldn't help but feel excited about it. After all, his boyfriend was moving to his world—with him.

"And, what are you doing today, son?" Burt asked, as he entered the kitchen to grab a bottle of beer.

"I'll hit the mall with Mercedes." He lied blatantly.

"Okay, but just make sure to be in time for dinner, okay?"

"Sure!" Kurt replied, grabbing his car keys and walking away.

Once outside he grabbed the newspaper he had stuck in his satchel and opened the real estate section. The first thing he had to find was a place for Blaine to stay for a couple of months until Kurt graduated from high school and they could move to a bigger city.

The thought of them sharing a life together sent a warm fuzz to his heart. He had always dreamed of living in New York, but now that Blaine was part of the plan he couldn't picture themselves in the crowded streets of Manhattan, a real Prince didn’t seem to fit there.

"Maybe we could move to Disneyland." He joked to himself, as he climbed into his car and drove away.

o-o-o-o-o

The Ball came to an end and as the guests said their goodbyes, Blaine walked to where his friends were waiting for the carriage to take them home.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" He asked them again. "There's plenty of room in the palace. You could even stay in my chambers." He offered.

"It's fine, Blaine, we have to go. Tomorrow we have the trip to the islands and we have to set everything before leaving." Trent said. "Jeff's father lent us the boat, but we don't have an oarsman, so I'll have to put in practice my skills with the oars."

"Okay, fine. Then I'll see you both tomorrow!" Blaine said, quickly saying goodbye and walking to his room. It had been a very emotional day and he felt exhausted.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt's search for small apartments turned out to be not as productive as he had first thought it would be. It turned out that living on your own cost so much more than he had first anticipated. He had some savings for when he moved away for college, but Lima was an expensive town too, so he wasn't sure if his savings were going to be enough to afford the almost six months Blaine would be living there before they could move somewhere else...together.

“So...would you like to see the other apartment?” The old man, who was showing Kurt the last apartment he had found on the newspaper, asked.

“No thank you...this was just fine. I hmmm, need to check this with my friend and see if our savings are enough to cover the six months contract.”

“Okay, then give me a call if you decide to go for this one. It’s a very good place with plenty of space at a very good price.”

“Thank you.” Kurt whispered, and walked away.

A bit disappointed he climbed into his car again and took a deep breath as he drove away. There was no way they would be able to afford an apartment, maybe once in New York things would get easier, but here in Lima even finding a job was complicated. He could try to work at the tire shop with his dad, but he would question him about the money and, _what was he going to say?_ Certainly not the truth, never the truth.

“What are we going to do?” He whispered to himself, and a new idea crossed his mind when he saw the local jewelry store.

If they weren’t going to return to Bellezza after Blaine’s journey, then maybe—just maybe—they could take some gold from Bellezza with them and use it to pay for Blaine’s place to live and maybe help a little with their moving to the big old city.

Kurt passed next to a small park near the Library and decided to make a quick detour and sit there just to think. He needed a quiet place to think everything through and certainly this park looked like the ideal place. He’d rather be at the Abbazia Allagata, but this place would do.

o-o-o-o-o

When Blaine reached his chambers, Cooper was waiting for him sitting on the floor outside his door. He had his head leaned on the wall and his eyes were closed. He looked tired too.

“What are you doing here?” Blaine asked intrigued. His brother had just felt his presence and opened his eyes.

“I was waiting for you.” Cooper said, standing up and straightening his clothes.

“Why didn’t you wait inside? The floor doesn’t look comfortable…much less for Your Royal and delicate behind.” He joked.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about my behind. It is as exquisite and firm as ever, and I waited here because I just wanted to have a few words with you before going to bed.”

“Do you want to come in?” Blaine said, gesturing to the door.

“No, here it’s fine. This is going to be quick.”

“Okay, what is it?” Blaine asked curiously.

“Did you notice how weird father was acting tonight?”

“Was he acting weird? How odd...I didn’t notice it.” Blaine lied.

“Yes, I think something’s going on, but I don’t know what. I asked him about it and he said he was fine, but I don’t believe him. I know him far too well to know when he’s lying.” Cooper said, looking at Blaine directly in the eye.

Blaine faked a yawn to avoid looking at him. It was true that one of Cooper’s special abilities was to read when people lied. He had a sixth sense about that.

“Anyway…” Cooper sighed, “I guess I’ll have to ask him again tomorrow. By the way, I saw you with Sebastian Smythe.”

“Don’t remind me of that.” Blaine replied, sighing defeated.

“Why were you with him?”

“Because father forced me.”

Cooper gave his brother a reassuring pat on the back. “I’m sorry to hear that brother, and why didn’t you invite Kurt instead? Your other friends were here, why not him?”

“I asked him, but he couldn’t make it and I think it was better that way...it would have been very awkward with Sebastian on my back the whole time.” Blaine partially lied.

“So you two?” Cooper questioned, giving his brother a knowingly look.

“Sort of…” Blaine confessed. He had always trusted Cooper and he wanted to share his happiness with him. “We’ve been, let’s say together for a couple of weeks...though nobody knows it, well only Jeff and Trent and now you of course.” He said, omitting that just a few hours ago his father and Raymond had found out about it too.

“Well, I’m happy for you, Lamb, you deserve to be happy, but what are you going to do with the whole arranged marriage?”

“I don’t know. Kurt knows all about it, so it’s not like I’m lying to him or anything, but it’s hard, you know? Tonight all I wanted was to be with him and slow dance in front of everybody, but instead I had to watch the fireworks with Sebastian and pretend to like what he was telling me and...seriously, he’s an imbecile! I don’t know why people find him interesting, he has nothing in his brain but air!”

“I know, right? I think it’s a Smythe’s thing. They all are a bunch of imbeciles with too much power.” Cooper agreed. “And if you let me have a word in this matter, I would tell you to follow your heart and just be happy, Lamb. We just have one life, so live it and be with who you want to be! Talk to father and tell him you want to be with Kurt. Invite his family to the palace, and let’s have a nice picnic at the gardens and all that courting things I did with Arianna’s family…do you remember?” Cooper said.

Blaine smiled warmly and nodded, because he did remember everything about that sappy stage his older brother had had. He was the happiest guy in all Bellezza and to say that he was extremely cheesy when he was courting Arianna was an understatement, because Cooper Anderson had reworded the meaning of cheesy when he had fallen in love with Arianna.

“I wished I could do all those things with him, but things are not that simple Coop, things with Arianna were different back then and now there’s a lot at risk...besides, he doesn’t even live in here.”

“I know, he’s from Amerighi, right? But you could tell father, and if he agrees we could send one of the _barcones_ to get his whole family and bring them here.” Cooper said, for him nothing was impossible, but to Blaine’s misfortune Cooper didn’t know all the details.

“I’ll think about it...father hasn’t been the most sympathetic about this. He thinks the marriage is our only solution.” Blaine said, and thought, _‘Especially after what happened today.’_

“Well, if you ever decide to defy our father, don’t worry I’ll be right there next to you. You’re not alone.” Cooper said, and Blaine had to fight back the tears that were now welling up in his eyes. “Besides, between you and me, Kurt is more handsome than the Smythe boy and way more your type, Lamb...and-” He added, “-him, I approve. I like him better.”

Blaine smiled. "I like him better too.”

Cooper smiled back. “And...are you ready for tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Blaine questioned confused.

“The trip to the islands?” Cooper said. “Your friends invited me...I hope you don’t mind.”

Blaine got excited. “Of course I don’t mind! It’s going to be amazing! It’s Kurt’s first time to the islands and he’s very excited.”

“Well, I haven’t visited the islands either, so it’s going to be my first time too.” Cooper informed.

“That’s true!” Blaine exclaimed, suddenly remembering that he had visited the islands in one of his many getaways to the town. “Then you both are going to be thrilled! The islands are amazing and there’s this glass museum and everything! It’s going to be a great day!” He said excitedly.

“I bet it will be…then, let’s go get some sleep. We have to be fully rested for tomorrow!” Cooper exclaimed, giving his brother a quick hug. “Goodnight, Lamb!”

“Goodnight, Coop!” Blaine said, and saw his brother walking the long hall that separated their chambers. He waited until he heard the door of Cooper’s room closing to enter his room and close the door behind him, discovering that he wasn’t alone. Raymond was waiting for him there too.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt was at one of the benches on the park sketching Blaine’s eyes one more time. _Would he ever get tired of doing that?_ He didn’t think so, he loved the way those eyes looked at him, he loved the way they shined every time he smiled and-

He was lost in his own thoughts and tracing his pencil across the page when a familiar voice made him shiver.

“Is that your boyfriend, hummel?” Dave Karofsky said. He was wearing some leather jacket; he looked like one of those gangster guys of one of those groups that hung out in dark alleys and kicked trash cans just for fun.

Kurt looked at him and frowned. “Jealous much?” He dared to say. He didn’t know where that had come from, but he was not regretting it. He was tired of being afraid.

Dave’s face changed and with a fast move he knocked the notebook out of Kurt’s hands and smashed it against the ground. Kurt knelt to pick it up, but Dave kicked it away and picked it up instead.

He looked at the pages and Kurt immediately stood up. “Give me my notebook!” He demanded.

Dave laughed mischievously. “What if I don’t?”

“I’ll take it from you!” Kurt said determined. He felt so strong right now that he knew he would be able to do whatever it took to get the notebook back. After all it was his only ticket back to Bellezza and Blaine.

“Then come and get it.” Dave said, challenging Kurt to come closer.

Kurt didn’t think it twice and tried to reach the notebook, but Dave was still taller than him. “Give it to me! That’s not yours!”

“Is this your diary, faggot?”

Kurt felt his blood boiling inside. “Stop calling me like that! If I’m a faggot then you’re one too...if I recall correctly you kissed me!”

With that last words Dave finally lost his temper and hit Kurt in the face, making him stumble back until he crashed against the bench.

“Don’t you dare to ever call me like that again!” Dave demanded, throwing Kurt the notebook and walking away.

Kurt lifted his hand and touched his lip; it was bleeding a little. Hugging his notebook tightly against his chest, he began to cry and rushed back to his car. He had to run away from there.

o-o-o-o-o

“Hi, Ray! I didn’t know I’d see you again tonight. What are you doing here?” Was the first thing Blaine asked as soon as he entered the room and found the old _itinerante_ waiting for him.

“I wanted to know what you had thought about the fireworks.” Ray said smiling.

“Oh! I thought they were amazing!” Blaine said. “That new shower with thunders and the image of grandmother Catherine in the sky with that rainbow color hair was spectacular and the en-”

“And the ending?” Raymond added. “I didn’t have that planned. I’ll have to scold a certain someone tomorrow when he’s back because he sneaked that set, but I can’t go too hard on him because it was perfect, he did a great job. If I didn’t know the true meaning behind all those symbols I would have thought the same thing the whole city is thinking right now...that it was an homage for your great, great grandmother.”

Blaine blushed. “I gave him a waterlily when we first kissed.”

“I figured that out...the only place where you can find water lilies in all Bellezza is the Abbazia. The _ninfae_ is considered a very special, unique and weird flower...I hope you both know the meaning behind that.”

“We know.”

Ray smiled, “Good...hmmm, Blaine? Are you okay after what happened today?”

“I don’t know. Naturally, I am scared. I never thought they would actually try to kill my father and–” He trailed off. “I don’t want to marry Sebastian. I followed father’s instructions, and went for a walk with him, and do you know what he told me?”

“No.”

“That he didn’t understand how a man like me could be friends with peasants...obviously he was referring to Jeff and Trent. What is wrong with him!? They are better human beings than him and all his family together!”

“Don’t mind him, Blaine. He’s a spoiled child. He doesn’t know what it’s like to have real friends.” Ray said. “And I’m really sorry that you had to go through all of this. I know it’s not fair and if I could do anything to help you both, believe me that I would do it. Unfortunately, things are really complicated right now. You saw what they did today and I am afraid that this is going to be just their first attempt. They won’t give up that easily.”

“Do you think they are going to try it again?” Blaine asked worriedly.

Ray nodded. “That’s who they are Blaine and-” he continued, choosing very carefully his words, “-even though I’m not entirely convinced, I think that this time we will have to follow your father’s plan and go on with the wedding. Maybe if we’re smart enough we could make it work in a way that it’s at least bearable for you.”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“Okay.” Ray said, standing up and walking to the door. “Then I’ll let you rest, are you two still going to the islands tomorrow?”

“Yes, Jeff’s father lent us a boat and Trent is going to be our oarsman. Cooper is going too, so I guess we could go out of the palace using the main door and not sneaking out. We won’t tell father the whole plan, but maybe mention something about visiting the coast.”

“That would be the wise thing to do. That way if you stay until late, he won’t get worried and send the entire guard to look for you and your brother.”

“I’ll ask Cooper to talk to father in the morning. Thank you, Ray.”

“You’re welcome.” Ray said, smiling at the boy. “Then have fun tomorrow and I’ll see you at night. Tell Kurt to stay as long as he can so we can have a few words.”

“I will. Goodnight, Ray.”

“Goodnight, Blaine.” The old man said, walking away and closing the door behind him.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt ran to his room and immediately entered his bathroom. He didn’t want his family to notice the bruise on his upper lip, especially Finn and his father. Carole would understand, but he knew that Finn and his father would go wild and, _God knew what they could end up doing!_ Finn surely would plan something that involved a way to finally fight Dave back and make him pay for everything, and his father...he could get sick again and Kurt didn’t want that.

Using a little bit of makeup, Kurt managed to cover the whole bruise. If anyone looked closely they could notice the stain of makeup above his lip, but he knew his family never paid attention to those details, so he knew he would be fine.

Kurt looked at the clock and walked down the stairs. It was time for dinner, and he had to help Carole with everything.

When he arrived to the kitchen, he found it unusually empty. Looking at the living room, he found his father and Finn watching a football game.

“Where’s Carole?” He asked.

“Hi, Kurt,” Finn replied. “She went to some friend’s house, apparently she’s getting a divorce or something, so it’s just us for dinner.” He said, and Burt just nodded in agreement.

“Okay, then I’ll start dinner.” Kurt informed.

“Do you need any help?” Burt said, not darting his eyes away from the plasma.

“No, it’s fine.” Kurt said, he knew it was better to do it alone than having his father or brother trying to help. “I can manage, you guys finish watching your game.”

“Thanks!” Finn exclaimed.

“Okay.” Burt said, and just when Kurt was walking away he called his son back. “Hey, Kurt?”

“Yes?”

“Did you read about the new school? Have you thought about the option we gave you? You know? Transferring schools and everything? Did you make a decision?”

Kurt swallowed slowly. He had thought about it and now with Blaine moving completely to his world, he knew he couldn't be away in some prep school. He would have to endure Karofsky for at least six months more and meanwhile help Blaine to adapt to this world and century.

“I did.” He replied. “And although I’m very grateful for the chance you guys are offering me, I don’t want to transfer. I don’t want to be a burden for all of you and although you’re going to say thar I won’t be, we all know I will be. Besides McKinley is my home. I want to graduate there with my brother and my friends.”

“Are you sure?” Burt questioned.

“Yes, it’s only half a year to go dad, and Finn will be there, right Finn?”

“Yeah sure, sure!” Finn said, nodding frantically.

“Okay, okay, but if you change your mind just tell us, okay? We want you safe..."

"Yes, dad." Kurt said, smiling.

"By the way guys..." Burt said. "Have you received any letters from the universities?”

Finn and Kurt looked at each other. “No.” The both replied at the same time.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure something will come...there’s still time.” Burt said.

“Yeah.” Kurt said, sounding quite relaxed. He didn’t want to worry about college just yet. He had more important things in mind. “I’ll go to the kitchen. Dinner will be ready in 30, okay?”

“Okay.” Burt and Finn replied, as Kurt disappeared behind the kitchen door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a long update so I really hope you've liked it! Things are getting a bit strange in both worlds, but let's see what happens. The next chapter will be the trip to the islands...see you soon!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new update, this time it's just 2 chapters but I hope you enjoy them. I'd love to hear what you guys think of this story so far. It's quite long so it would help me a lot to know if you're at least enjoying it. Anyways...there are some final notes at the end of CH18 ;)

Cooper, Kurt, Jeff and Blaine's hearts sang in glee as Trent, who was the oarsman, rowed them out into the salty water of the lagoon. Fascinated as they were by the beautiful city which hovered like a dream on the edge of most of their childhoods—except Kurt’s—they, as any other _lagooner_ were excited with just the idea of visiting the islands. Blaine, Jeff and Trent already knew them, but for Cooper and Kurt this was their first time, and they both were in the edge of the boat trying to memorize all their surroundings.

They had a long day ahead, so in order to visit some of the most important islands, Trent and Jeff had planned a very specific route. The boat skirted around the south of the city and up to the Northeast where Merlino lay. But before arriving there, they passed a cypress-veiled island who according to them was an important place.

The moment they spotted the cypress-veiled island, Kurt noticed that it was beautiful and oddly creepy. All the men in the boat were quiet for the first time since they had all embarked on this adventure. Blaine, Trent, Jeff and Cooper had their heads bowed, and Kurt just kept looking at the creepy island not understanding what was happening.

"What is it?" Kurt asked Blaine in a whisper, noticing the change in their moods. But it was Cooper who answered.

"That’s where people bury their dead, Kurt. The whole island is a cemetery now. It wasn’t always so, but we needed many more graves at the time of the plague that followed the second flood. Now it is almost full and there is talk of starting a new graveyard on the mainland. The _Isola dei Morti,_ we call it—the Island of the Dead."

"My mother is there.” Jeff informed, and Kurt felt a sting of sadness just thinking about his own dead mother.

Kurt bowed his head instinctively too to show respect for the dead, as Trent rowed slowly under the lee of the cypresses. Kurt could see a small church at the center of the island and one or two huge marble tombs between the trees. He shuddered involuntarily, although the island itself was quite calm and peaceful.

Their spirits lifted as they left the somber island behind them and could see the larger shape of Merlino ahead of them. The boat nosed into the small harbor, and they all climbed out of it, following Jeff who was the one in charge of giving the statutory tour.

"We might as well let Kurt see the sights before we continue to the other islands." Trent said. "And Cooper too, after all this is his first time here as well." He said.

There seemed to be a lot of people seeing the sights. The harbor was packed with boats, some quite large ones. The main street of Merlino was thronged with people who were clearly visitors to the lagoon. Kurt didn’t know how he knew that. They were dressed in clothes of four hundred years ago, not wearing shorts and carrying cameras, but they still didn’t look as if they belonged. For a moment Kurt wondered if he looked that way too; after all, he was more of a tourist than any of them. In that moment, he was suddenly glad to be with two _lagooners_ , Jeff and Trent, who knew the islands like the back of their hands.

"Where are they all going?" Kurt asked to Jeff and Trent, when he noticed the people walking in large groups to the East of the island.

"To the museum," Trent said, "everyone comes to see the glass. We should go too."

Kurt had read about the Murano glass in his Venice books, but that was nothing like what he saw in the Merlino glass museum. The museum had a huge colored glass wall with all the colors of the rainbow in some spectacular shape. On the outside, you could buy vases and paperweights and cheap ornaments from the many stalls in the street, but the objects in the museum were the true works of art.

The finest were in the rooms dedicated to the anonymous Glass Master of the fourteenth century. There were turreted castles, fully rigged ships, winged rams, peacocks and whole gardens of glass trees and flowers, with delicate spider webs, accurate right down to the dewdrops on them. Kurt had to be dragged away from that section.

"Come and see the beastly mask." Blaine said, pulling Kurt by the arm and dragging him with him.

In a corner of the Glass Master’s main room was an ornate glass case, displaying, on a black velvet cushion, an intricate mask. It was so elaborate and beautiful that it was hard to believe it had all been made from glass. It had a faint pearly blue sheen and should have been quite exquisite. But something about it was sinister. Kurt shifted uneasily.

"You feel it?" Blaine asked. "This is the cause of our horrid custom of masking all people during the _ceremonia di sangue_ and the carnival. Well, not this one but its partner. Come outside and I’ll tell you. It’s too crowded in here.”

As they left the museum, Blaine pointed out the motto carved in stone above the doors— _Ove Beltà porta una Maschera._ 'Where Beauty Wears a Mask,'" he translated from the Old Talian. "That’s the real Bellezzan motto, well, a little after the second flood."

They walked to a little grassy square near one of the canals—because Merlino, like Bellezza, was an island made of numerous smaller ones. The rest of the group joined them and Jeff started to unpack their lunch baskets while sitting on the stone wall around the central canal. Kurt, Cooper, Blaine and Trent stretched out on the grass in some blankets that Trent had already placed there. Kurt let the sun warm the chill out of him brought on by the mask.

"The Glass Master made the mask at the request of our great, great, great, great grandfather, Rupert Anderson. It was a gift to his wife our great, great, great, great grandmother, Leonora Anderson." Cooper said, sharing a bit of what he knew thanks to the books available in the palace. "An old tale says that the master decided to make two matching masks instead of just one, as requested, and that he considered them his masterpieces. Rupert was thrilled with the result and since the city had been in constant celebration since the first _sacrifici_ , he decided that the Queen and him, were going to wear them at the Carnival."

"It must have been very uncomfortable." Kurt stated, just imagining wearing a mask made of glass.

"More than that in the end," Blaine snorted, "grandmother Leonora was wearing it at the great Ball that comes at the end of Carnival, in the Piazza Maddalena, outside the cathedral. The tale says that she was dancing with the young Prince of Remora, Bruno Smythe, when it happened.”

“What happened?” Kurt asked intrigued.

“People say Bruno Smythe whirled her faster and faster around the square, while all the people watched and cheered. And then, she tripped. Tripped and fell, and the mask shattered." Blaine said.

"Ouch!" Kurt winced.

Cooper and Blaine nodded. They both knew the story too well, so the oldest one continued. "The books say that the Queen's screams nearly started a war. Her guards were sure that the young Smythe had tried to assassinate her. There was total panic and confusion."

"What happened to her face?" Kurt asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

“No one ever saw it again," Cooper said dramatically, "she wore a mask in public ever afterwards. And made it law that all inhabitants must wear one too during the _ceremonial di sangue_ and the carnival. Our two most important traditions."

"So the mask in the museum is the one that belonged to Rupert Anderson?" Kurt asked.

"It is, he placed it there personally." Cooper said. "And then..." he added, making a dramatic pause, "he murdered the artist!"

"Really, Coop?" Blaine interfered, rolling his eyes. "There is no proof of that."

Cooper shot him a scornful look. "All right then, Lamb. By a great, great coincidence, the day after Rupert Anderson put the mask on display in the museum, the Glass Master was taken ill with a violent stomach disorder, which looked just like the symptoms of poisoning. He died in agony." Cooper said ironically.

Kurt didn’t like to admit it, but Cooper's interpretation of the events did sound convincing. "What happened to the young Prince?" He asked.

"He died too," Cooper said, "of a _strange_ fever."

Jeff and Trent swung around in astonishment. "I didn’t know that! I bet that was the King's doing too." Jeff said.

"Possibly," Cooper agreed, "or possibly the idea of one of his courtiers. Or possibly he just had a fever. Bellezza was very unhealthy at the time with the flood and everything.”

"So, all this mask tradition started more than a hundred of years ago?" Kurt asked. "It isn’t something new?"

"No," Blaine said, "before the accident, people only wore them at the Carnival. But any King could have changed that law now. It’s only a statement, but I guess people is so used to wear them that nobody has thought about it."

Jeff, Trent and Kurt looked at each other and exhaled. That had been quite a story.

After some minutes, they stood up and brushed the crumbs from their clothes. "Let’s keep going, we still have a lot to see." Jeff said.

o-o-o-o-o

They went down to the shoreline and walked along the shingle till they got to where the fishing-boats were moored. The smell was terrible. Fishermen lounged around, eating their lunch. The morning catch had been cleaned and sold and they would spend the afternoon mending their nets and in other occupations while they waited for the evening catch. Kurt could not distinguish one fishing-boat from another and even the fishermen all looked much the same to him, but Jeff guided them until they reached their boat.

When they climbed again, Kurt asked. "What are all those bones?" After noticing the small white piles lying around on the beach. Some fishermen were whittling them.

"Those are the bones of the merlino-fish which we find washed upon the beach." Trent said, making the sign of good fortune. "Worth more to us than any live fish we catch."

Kurt frowned not really understanding and Jeff added, "You make daggers from them," he said as a matter of explanation, "they are very highly valued in Bellezza."

"And very expensive." Trent added.

"Truth, my father has one because he's part of the business, but if he weren't, we wouldn't be able to afford it." Jeff explained.

 o-o-o-o-o

Instead of going straight to Torrone, Jeff asked Trent to take them to Burlesca. He wanted his friends to meet his Nonna. Only Trent knew who she was.

“Who’s her?” Cooper asked.

“My grandmother.” Jeff said, already smiling. “She’s amazing, you’ll see. And you will get to taste some of Nonno’s cakes. They are the best in all Talia. They live in the funniest little house on Burlesca. You’ll see.”

As the boat neared the next island, they all could see that the island was a riot of color. As soon as they were close enough to make out the houses, they could see that all of them were painted in a different color—bright blues and pinks and oranges and yellows jostled side by side. Kurt thought that the combination would have looked awful in Lima, but somehow, under the blue skies of the lagoon, it seemed perfect.

“Look! There’s their house!” Jeff shouted, when the boat had moored. “Isn’t it funny?”

The group suddenly saw what he meant. Amid all the greens and turquoises and purples there was one pure white house. It stood out from all the others like the white chocolate in a continental assortment. Various tourists stopped to look at it as they passed and Kurt guessed that, in his world, this would be the house to feature on the most popular postcards.

Outside the front door sat an old woman dressed in black. She had pure white hair and on her lap, on a small black cushion, rested a heap of snowy white lace. She was working it with her crooked fingers, so fast that they seemed to blur, but her attention was not in the task at hand, she was more interested in saying hello to passers-by and chatting to her neighbors, who were similarly occupied. Kurt noticed that she never looked at the work once.

“Nonna!” Jeff cried, and launched himself at the old woman, whose face lit up at the sight of her grandson.

“Jeffy! How lovely to see you! And your friend Trent too. And who are these young men?” She asked, not recognizing the other three faces. Kurt because she didn’t know him, but Blaine and Cooper, probably because of her old age. Until now everyone had recognized them, almost all the _lagooners_ had whispered that the Princes of the Kingdom were visiting the islands.

“These are my friends, Kurt from Amerighi and-” Jeff hesitated a little with Blaine and Cooper, but finally decided it was better to just go with it. “-and Blaine and Cooper Anderson, Princes of Bellezza.”

The old woman looked intently at the three men and abandoned her lace. “What an honor to have such distinguished guests. A foreigner and two Princes...where did you meet your friends, Jeffy?” She questioned, hugging them all and leading them into her house.

Kurt stopped a minute to look at the work she had been doing. It must have been going to be a tablecloth or something like that. In the center was a peacock, with its tail at full spread, which reminded him of the Glass Master’s finest work. All around the edge there was a pattern of leaves and lilies laced with colorful shining threads. They looked like made of glass.

“Glass and lace,” said a voice, echoing his thoughts, “that’s what the islands are all about.” Kurt looked up and saw that Jeff’s grandmother had come back to usher him in. She was looking at him with a very intelligent expression and suddenly he felt seen through and acutely aware of his lack of a shadow.

“It’s beautiful.” He said, blushing. He had a terrible pang at the thought that he could never take such lovely lace home for Carole.

“Beautiful and useful too,” said the old woman, nodding, “it has its own language, you know.” But before he could ask what she meant, Jeff came bouncing back.

“Never mind lace,” he said, “what about cakes?”

Jeff’s grandmother dispatched him to the cake shop, where her husband worked. “Tell him to come and join us,” she called, “he’ll be shutting up for the afternoon soon, anyway.”

Jeff was soon back, with a wrinkled old man. He walked with a stick and Jeff bounded alongside him balancing a huge tray of cakes.

“Kurt, Blaine, Cooper...this is my grandfather,” he said, “he makes the best cakes on the island. Some of his recipes go back for generations and they’re the Sterling’s greatest secrets, aren’t they, Nonno? You’re going to leave them to me when you die, aren’t you?”

“So, you’re going to be a cake-maker, are you?” His grandmother asked. “I heard you wanted to be a merchant like your father.”

“And I still want, but Trent here is going to be a baker, so he could make cakes too.” He said, smiling at his grandmother and winking at Trent.

They all laughed and sat at a great stone table in Jeff’s grandparents’ back garden, which was full of terracotta pots of red flowers and overflowing greenery. They made a pretty sight against the white walls. Kurt had a hunch that if Jeff’s grandfather had lived in Merlino, where all the houses were white, he would have painted his bright pink. He was that sort of a person. He wasn’t tall and his crooked leg made him seem even shorter, but he was an impressive figure, with his bushy white eyebrows and toned arms. And he did make the most delicious cakes.

“Try this kind,” the old man said, interrupting Kurt’s thoughts and offering him a small cake in the shape of a sugary crescent moon, “share it with your boyfriend, we call this one _dolce amore_ , the love sweet.”

Kurt and Blaine blushed at the same time and Cooper let out a mocking laugh.

“I’m sorry,” the man immediately apologized, thinking he had made a mistake, “I thought you two were a couple, you have that spark in your eyes and-”

“We are.” Blaine said, proud of finally admitting it out loud and taking Kurt’s hand. He knew he could get in trouble for this, but he trusted that Jeff’s family would be discreet.

“Well, you two do look cute together.” Jeff’s grandmother said, smiling at them with half her teeth.

Blaine and Kurt smiled at them and Jeff’s grandfather encouraged them to taste the famous cake. “‘I make them with sweet lemons and flowers scents.” He said.

Blaine and Kurt took a small bite of the cake and smiled in pleasure. The cake was delicious to say the least.

“Wow.” Kurt murmured, and Blaine nodded in agreement as he took another bite.

“Only people who are deeply in love can really appreciate the taste of the flowers.” The old man explained. “My grandfather used to say that it was the essence of love the one that made the flowers to taste like honey.”

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and smiled warmly. Whether it was right or not that the cake tasted different for people who were in love, they wanted to believe it because it was true, they were very much in love with each other.

The cakes, some of which were more like biscuits, were served with glasses of prosecco. So Jeff immediately took out three bottles and started to pour some glasses.

After some time Kurt stretched out his legs and drank some prosecco while he shared some other sweet cake with Blaine. Enjoying the scent of the garden and the warmth of the afternoon sun, he couldn’t remember ever feeling happier.

o-o-o-o-o

Torrone was a great contrast to the other two islands. While they had been bustling with life and activity, the smallest island was quiet and tranquil. There were visitors there, as everywhere in the lagoon, and there were a few stalls to sell them food and drink and lace and glass and even a few merlino-daggers. But the greatest number of people were streaming down the path by the main canal towards the church.

“It’s a cathedral really,” Jeff told the group, “but it’s no bigger than a church.”

The cathedral was cold and still, in spite of the tide of life that swept through it every day. Before the altar was a marble screen, carved with birds and flowers, as fine as Nonna’s lace. And through it, behind the altar, was a huge mosaic of a woman. It was made of silver and blue and towered up into the dome of the building.

“Our Lady,” Jeff and Trent whispered, making the sign of good fortune.

“Mary?” Kurt asked confused.

“If you like,” Trent shrugged, “or the goddess. It doesn’t matter. She is the Mother of the Lagoon and everyone comes to see her. Not just the tourists. All _lagooners_ come to ask the Lady’s help in times of trouble.”

Kurt could see a whole constellation of candles burning at the feet of the mosaic figure. And there were flowers and beads and all sorts of trinkets lay at its base too.

“Do you see that stone slab behind the altar?” Jeff asked. “Under there lie the bones of a dragon. The Maddalena, patron saint of the lagoon, is said to have killed it by the touch of one of her tears. The sheer holy power of it shriveled him up.”

Both Cooper and Kurt who didn’t know a thing about that opened their mouths in awe.

“A dragon?” Cooper questioned excited. “How come I haven’t read about that in the many books I’ve read back in the palace?”

“Because you haven’t read the right books, Coop.” Blaine interfered. He had had the same morbid curiosity when he had first come to this island. “There’s one book about this island at the mythical collection. I can give it to you when we’re home.”

As they completed the guided tour of the cathedral, Kurt felt more and more confused. On the one hand it was a church and he felt he ought to recognize what went on in it. On the other hand the _lagooners_ seemed equally happy with stories of goddesses or dragons, which seemed to belong to an earlier, pagan time. And Kurt who considered himself a nonbeliever was seriously confused. But he shrugged, after all, this world was really unique.

o-o-o-o-o

After a long tour, they went back to the main piazza and ate a big dish of pasta, with herbs and olives and garlic. It was completely unlike anything Kurt had ever tasted. After the meal, which was eaten on a little vine-covered terrace, they climbed into the boat again. The day had slipped away and it was time to go back.

“This was amazing, thank you for inviting me, boys.” Cooper said, sitting on the boat. He was carrying a huge basket with sweetmeats people had given him as soon as they had recognized him. Carrying all those things Cooper looked like a tourist from Kurt’s world.

“No problem, Cooper, you can come anytime.” Jeff said.

“Yes, we can come back as many times as you want.” Trent added, using the oar to move the boat and start their way back to Bellezza.

The sun was just setting and the view was beautiful. Jeff, who was used to watch it almost every day, closed his eyes and instead rested his head against one side of the boat and immediately fell asleep.

Kurt rested his head on Blaine’s shoulder and Blaine hugged him tightly leaving a sweet kiss on his head. They both looked to the horizon and whispered some quiet _‘I love you’s,’_ being careful of Cooper, who didn’t miss a chance to make fun of them.

Kurt took a deep breath and finally closed his eyes, and since he wasn’t carrying the notebook—he had left it safely stored in one of Raymond’s secret drawers—he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, the boat was mooring in front of Jeff’s father store and it was only then that Kurt noticed for the first time that it was getting dark and the first stars were coming out. With a horrible jolt, he realized that, back in his world, it must be already Monday morning. School day.

_‘Crap!’_


	18. Chapter 18

When Kurt opened his eyes, he found that he was not alone in his room. His dad was on the phone and Finn and Carole were standing next to him.

“I’m telling you! He’s unconscious!” Burt was saying, he sounded desperate.

Kurt was sure he was calling 911. He had stayed past his usual time to come back home from Bellezza, and maybe if this had happened during the weekend Kurt wouldn’t be so scared, but it was Monday, he was supposed to be up at 6 am and it was probably 7 or 8 am.

“I don’t know, okay!? I came here and he was like that! There’s nothing next to his bed! Listen to me! He’s unconscious!” Burt kept saying, more like yelling.

“Dad?” Kurt whispered.

“Kurt!” Finn and Carole exclaimed at the same time, turning around to face him.

“Oh my God! He woke up!” Burt said through the phone, and ran to the bed. “Buddy! Are you okay?” He asked his son, completely ignoring the phone.

Carole picked up the discarded phone and kept talking to the lady in the emergency line.

“I’m fine, dad.”

“No, you’re not! You were unconscious!” Burt said.

 _‘No, I was not.’_ Kurt thought.

“I was just deeply asleep dad, there’s no need to worry.” Kurt said, trying to sound convincing, but maybe failing a little. The fear of having stayed until very late on a school day was taking over him.

“What’s on your lip dude?” Finn asked.

 _‘The bruise!’_ Kurt panicked. He hadn’t covered it before going to bed and had completely forgotten about it. Blaine hadn't even noticed it. “Nothing.” He said, covering his face with the duvet. “I slipped yesterday and hit my face, but nothing happ-”

“The doctor is on her way.” Carole informed them.

“There’s no need Carole, call her and tell her I’m alright.” Kurt said.

“No!” Burt said; his hands were still shaking. “She’s going to check you. We tried to wake you for two hours, Kurt! Two hours! Did you take something to sleep?”

“No, I was just super tired. I guess I didn’t hear you.”

“Dude! We threw water on you!” Finn said, he sounded as worried and relieved as the rest of his family.

“Really?” Kurt questioned, noticing for the first time the wet stain on his shirt. “That’s weird, but I promise you that I’m fine, really.”

Burt rolled his eyes, and Carole and Finn looked at each other. It was clear for Kurt that nobody believed him.

o-o-o-o-o

Twenty minutes later the doctor arrived, and despite Kurt’s displeasure, she examined him to make sure he was okay. The doctor was a nice woman in her late fifties who smelled like roses and lavender. She was sweet and tender, and if it weren’t for the last advice she gave to his dad, Kurt would have liked her.

“So, your son is perfectly fine. I made him some questions and well…” she hesitated, “in my professional opinion I think that these stages of _‘deep sleep’_ are just a side effect of a deterioration in his mental health. Most teenagers go through something like this so I would advise you take him to a therapist.” The doctor said.

“I’m not crazy!” Kurt immediately complained.

“I wasn’t saying you were crazy, sweetie. It’s just a precaution, I think it could help you to talk to someone about what’s really going on inside that head.” The doctor said.

“Don’t worry doctor, we will take him.” Burt said determined, and Kurt just huffed. Staying until late on Bellezza was costing him a severe migraine.

o-o-o-o-o

The visit to the local therapist office was fast and even though Kurt complained the whole time, he couldn’t put off the imminent appointment. As soon as the doctor had gone, Carole had called to some therapist that she found on the yellow pages, and to Kurt’s misfortune, he had been able to squeeze them in his schedule.

“Kurt Hummel?” The therapist’s assistant said.

“That would be me.” Kurt said, standing up and practically dragging his feet to the open door.

“I’ll be waiting here.” Burt said, before Kurt entered the office.

Kurt walked in and immediately felt under review. The old man in front of him was looking at him intently. He had this strong features and big smile that made his face look serious, but somehow sweet. The lethal combination of any therapist.

“Hello there, my name is doctor Stevens, but you can call me Charles.”

“Hi.” Kurt said, awkwardly taking a seat in one of the empty chairs. “I’m Kurt.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Kurt.” Dr. Stevens said, making a quick note in the sheet of paper he had in front of him.

“Likewise.” Kurt said, clearly showing his discomfort.

“I know that this must be extremely awkward for you, but we will try to make it as comfortable as possible, okay?” He said, giving Kurt a reassuring smile. “According to the file your dad filled for you, this morning you had some trouble waking up. Here says that you didn’t take anything, but your doctor thinks you’re showing signs of a severe depression.”

Kurt couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “That’s what she says, though I’m perfectly fine. This is just a waste of time. I’m not depressed, maybe a few months ago I was, but not anymore not since-” He bit his tongue.

“Since what?” Dr. Steven asked intrigued.

“I met someone.” Kurt just said, “I’m-I’m gay and well, I'd actually never had a boyfriend before, but then he came along and-”

“Is he a friend from school?” The doctor asked, making some new notes in what Kurt knew was his record.

“Not, really.”

“Kurt.” The doctor said, looking up from the paper. “I want you to know that whatever you tell me in here won’t leave these four walls, okay? You can tell me everything you want and I’ll just try to listen and help you.”

“But I’m fine, really.”

“Your dad wrote here that you suffer from bullying at school, is that right?”

Kurt sighed. “Yes.”

“Why don’t we start with that? You can tell me all about it and then we can move to this boyfriend you have, okay?”

Kurt nodded resigned and started talking. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to tell someone what was really inside his head. He had written all about it on the notebook his dad had given him, but it was different when you actually shared it with another human being—well, with another human being from his own world, because Ray and Blaine knew all about it too.

“Well, what you went through must not have been easy, but from what I can see you’re a very brave man, so we will go back to this part of your life later. Now tell me about your boyfriend. You say you stopped being depressed when you met him.”

“I did.” Kurt confessed.

“Well, I want to hear all about him.” The doctor said.

Kurt took a deep breath and seriously thought about lying, but something in the back of his mind told him it was okay to share it with someone, in the worst case scenario the doctor would think he had lost his mind and that was something Kurt had already heard before, so he just went for it and told the truth. Starting with his first travel to Bellezza, and finishing with the past few events where he had saved Blaine’s father's life.

When Kurt finished telling his story he chuckled a little. Even to his own ears he sounded like a completely mad person. Even though he knew everything was nothing but the truth, he also knew that the doctor hadn’t believed him, not even a little. He had a frown on his face and kept writing even when Kurt was not really saying anything.

“Well, you have quite an interesting mind, Kurt.” The doctor said, looking up from the piece of paper.

Kurt tried not to roll his eyes in exasperation; he could read in those green eyes what the doctor was about to tell him.

“And what I can gather from this first session is that well, this world and boy you created in your dreams are just that...a dream. Look, Kurt, the mind sometimes finds ways to cope with things we think we can’t handle in real life; in this case it’s safe to say that you’ve been through a very rough time in the past years and let’s say that your brain kind of just gave up. What that boy at your school did to you was an assault, and well...your mind found a way to cope with it.”

“I didn’t invent Blaine and Bellezza, everything it’s true!” Kurt stated, he felt his blood boiling with rage. He was not crazy.

“I know that you want to believe that they are true and in a way they are because they are part of who you are, but this parallel life you think you’re living is not real and in order for you to get better and stop having this sleep problems, you will have to understand that you’re sick and you’re clearly depressed.”

Kurt thought for a minute about fighting back, yelling that he was not depressed and clearly not sick. Maybe once he was sick, maybe once he was depressed, but not anymore. Now he had Blaine and this wonderful life ahead for them, and he was not willing to let anyone take it from him. When he finally managed to learn how to bring Blaine to his world, he would be able to prove to everybody—including this sham of a doctor—that Blaine was real and that he was not crazy.

“Whatever you say.” He finally whispered. It was better to pretend than to explain, he had done that his whole life, so surely he could keep his game on in front of the doctor too.

o-o-o-o-o

Ray was pacing around his laboratory waiting for his apprentice to show up. He was worried, he knew Kurt had traveled very late to his world and was afraid of the consequences. He was reading some book to try to ease his nerves when the door of his laboratory swung open.

“Richard.” He exclaimed, looking at the King who was standing by the door.

“Is he here already?” Richard asked, looking around the room.

“No, not yet...you wanted to see him?”

“Actually I was hoping to talk to him and thank him again for saving my life, but I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“There’s no need, he will be here any minute now.”

“I can't stay. I just received a letter from Francesco Smythe and I have an audience with him in Remora.”

“You’re going to Remora? You want me to come with you?”

“No, don’t worry. I think they want to talk about-”

“Sebastian and Blaine.” Raymond guessed.

“Indeed.” Richard agreed. “I’ll see you at night...after all I’m supposed to be dying tonight. I want to be here when you imprison that traitor and capture the man who gave him the instructions.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been following him since yesterday and I’m sure he won’t go until he gets the rest of the money, so we will capture them both tonight, don’t worry.”

“Okay, well...I’ll see you later. Goodbye, my friend.”

“Goodbye.” Ray whispered, as the door closed behind the King.

Raymond quickly moved to the far end of his laboratory, and uncovering his mirrors, he started to adjust one to display the Pope’s palace in Remora. He was adjusting the levers and knobs when a voice broke the silence.

“Ray?”

“Kurt!” Raymond turned a bit surprised. “I’m so glad you’re fine, I wasn’t sure if you were going to be able to come today. How were things back at home, did you get in a lot of trouble?”

Kurt exhaled. “You have no idea...when I woke up my dad was calling 911 and-”

“What’s 911?” Ray asked confused.

“An emergency number, you call there and ask for help.”

“What kind of help?” Raymond inquired. This always happened whenever Kurt shared something about his world, Ray got lost in track asking about details that didn’t really matter.

“All kinds of help, but I’ll explain it to you later.”

“Yes, sorry...I just find your world fascinating.”

“And I found yours even more, but anyway…” Kurt trailed off, and explained everything that had happened back in Lima. When he finished his story Ray was looking at him intently, like if he were just looking at him for the first time.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because all this time I'd been wondering why the notebook had chosen you to come here. After what happened two days ago, I thought that that had been the main reason, but now that you’re telling me all you shared with the brain _dottore_ and what he told you in return I cannot help but think that you’re right in one thing...this world in a way saved you too...Blaine did.”

Kurt blinked a couple of times, he had always wanted to know why life had granted him with this unique gift and now that he finally knew, everything fit into place.

“So, do you think that if Dave had never made my life miserable for years, I would have never come here?”

“I’m not sure, maybe not, but I sincerely doubt it. I think the notebook would have chosen you anyway.”

Kurt thought for a minute and seizing the opportunity he asked what he had been wanting to ask since Blaine proposed him the talisman plan. “How do the talismans really work? Do they just choose a new _itinerante_ or is it possible to make someone be a _itinerante_ just by giving the person a talisman?”

Raymond hesitated for a couple of seconds, but decided to reply anyway. “Well, it works both ways, but for you to understand everything, first I must tell you about the way in which Edward Lombardi came to Talia first.” The old _itinerante_ said, taking a seat by the table and motioning Kurt to join him.

“You have read that he was an alchemist, right? Do you know what that is?” Ray asked.

“Someone who tries to make gold from lead?”

“In your world, yes. Here of course our natural philosophers are striving to create silver. Getting gold is easy enough.”

“Is a natural philosopher what you call a scientist?”

“A scientist, yes, like myself. But not all of us are striving to make silver, any more than all are _itineranti_. Anyway, Doctor Lombardi was trying to make gold, not from lead but from earth and salts and various minerals. He had been to university in your world’s version of Talia in the city call Bellona. When he was conducting one of his experiments late at night in his laboratory in Anglia—your England—there was an alchemical accident—an explosion affecting time and space. When he came to, he found himself still clutching the copper dish he had been using in the experiment. Imagine his excitement and amazement when he saw that the dish now contained gold!”

“So he did it.” Kurt whispered.

“Yes and no,” Ray said, “it was indeed gold, but he hadn’t made it in your world, where it is valued, but in our world, where it is not. When he looked around him, he found himself, even more to his amazement, transported to this Kingdom in the city also called Bellona. More precisely in the laboratory of one of our greatest scientist, Federico Bruno. From that day on, Doctor Lombardi gave up his interest in alchemy and dedicated himself to the science of _itineranzza_.”

“And did he never take any gold back with him?”

Raymond shook his head “He tried. He took the copper dish back, but when he returned to your world, it only contained earth and salts. And his laboratory had been half destroyed by fire. Still, the dish was now his talisman, his most precious possession, which carried him back and forth between worlds. From then on he wasn’t interested in gold or in making his fortune: it was the pure science of _itineranzza_ that consumed him. He devoted himself to study the talismans and understood their power. You see? We generally train the _itinerante_ and at the end we give him a talisman, but sometimes, like in your case, the talisman chooses the _itinerante_. After the firsts travels, Doctor Lombardi himself established the rules about taking nothing between worlds except talismans.”

“Talismans in the plural?” Kurt asked. “He brought something else to this world besides the dish?”

“Yes, over the years, on his many travels. Slowly, cautiously, he introduced other objects to enable other _itineranti_ , whom he trained in many Talian Kingdoms, to make the perilous journey to his world. And in time he took objects from our world to yours to enable journeys in the other direction. It was only ever the dish, forged in one word but transmuted in another, which brought a _itinerante_ to Talia without being from Talia itself.”

Kurt remembered something.

“It wasn’t him who brought the notebook to my world, though, was it? You said it was you—and it was in my time too.”

Raymond sighed. “There’s still so much we do not know. Ever since Doctor Lombardi’s first journey, twenty-five years ago, whenever one of us has made the journey to your world, it is a world that has moved on in time much faster than ours. It didn’t work like that for him—he always returned to his own time and place. That's why we hadn't had any visitors from your world until you showed up. Apparently the objects he took there got lost in time. The gateway he opened is clearly between your world and our Talia, but there is no clear explanation about how the time changes between our two worlds. We are still working on how to travel to a parallel time as well as a parallel space.”

Kurt took a while to digest all the new information. In the end he hung on to the easiest bit. “So in theory any object brought by a _itinerante_ from his own world can work as a talisman, but sometimes these talismans posses a strong belonging force that made them choose their _itineranti_?”

“That’s right...any object that can bear the travel through both dimensions can be a talisman, but like I’ve told you many times before, they are dangerous, you never know if the talisman is going to bring someone unwanted or dangerous for any of our two worlds.”

Kurt nodded in understanding, he was suddenly thinking about Blaine as a _itinerante_. He could trained him. His boyfriend knew a lot about the brotherhood already, so he just needed to teach him how to meditate to make the journey easier and found an object that could endure the travel.

"Clothes..." Kurt thought. "Do they work as talismans?"

"No, we don't know why, but textiles and fabrics don't seem to hold the power to help the _itinerante_ travel between worlds. They are strong enough to endure the transmutation between worlds, but not enough to use it as a talisman."

Kurt meditated for a minute.

“Have you brought more talismans to my world beside the notebook?”

“No, that was my first attempt to bring something, all my previous talismans had disappeared during the journey, but somehow that notebook made it. That’s why I knew it would chose someone special, and thus why I didn’t designate a _itinerante_ and waited for it to choose it.”

“And it chose me.” Kurt said with a smile.

“And it chose you.” Raymond agreed, smiling back. “And I’m glad it did.”

“Ray?” Kurt questioned. He wanted to know one more thing about this. “How do you know where the talisman is going to bring the new _itinerante?”_

“You can’t tell, you only know that the _itinerante_ is going to appear in the same city from where you bring it, but it’s hard to tell where. For example, I did the journey to your world from here and you first appeared on the cathedral so...”

 _‘Well that’s an inconvenience.’_ Kurt thought. “And, is there a size established for the talismans, are there specific objects, materials?”

“Not really, as long as it’s easy to carry around and make the journey back and forth without suffering transformations, anything can be a talisman, even a quill…but we usually use only strong materials, marble like the one in your notebook’s cover, silver...copper.”

Kurt’s mind started to work and suddenly he knew exactly what he was going to bring to be Blaine’s talisman. He didn’t know why, but he was sure that that object would make the journey—it had to.

o-o-o-o-o

Sebastian was reading some book to kill some time, he hated when the weather didn’t let him take his usual evening strolls. He liked to walk around the palace and get lost just to find his way back using the stars. His mother called him crazy, but he liked it. So now that it was pouring outside, he was enclosed in the library reading about old wars and plagues. He was lost in the reading when his father entered the room and very silently took a seat next to him.

“Your uncle requested an audience with Richard Anderson.” He said.

“He did?” Sebastian asked, looking up from his book and closing it in front of him. There was a spark of excitement in his eyes.

“Yes.” His father replied simply.

“What for? Was it for...?” Sebastian hesitated to ask.

“Yes, it was for that.” Rinaldo said with a smile.

“And what about the other boy? Do we know who he is? I thought you and my uncle said he complicated things a little bit.”

“And he does, but we think he doesn’t represent a big menace. He wasn’t at the Ball the other day, right? So he mustn't be very important, otherwise he would have been there...so my guess is that the King doesn’t approve and he certainly approves you. Our men in the palace informed us that the boy is just a simple apprentice. He cannot compare himself to you, my son, so don’t worry about that and just be happy because even though we have some other plans in motion right now to gain more power over the cities, your uncle and I both agreed that the marriage must remain on the table. Your uncle just started the talks with the King to set a date and everything for your engagement.”

Sebastian smiled broadly.

“You really like that boy, don’t you?” Rinaldo asked a bit concerned. He was aware that if his son fell in love with Blaine, everything would crumble down and he would have to make more extreme decisions, which could end badly for his own son.

“Well, yes, but no that much.” Sebastian confessed, blushing a little. “I mean, he’s handsome and cute, he seems to be very smart and joyful, but there’s something about him that-” He trailed off. The truth was that he, indeed, liked Blaine Anderson even though he knew he wasn’t supposed to.

“You can’t fall in love with him.” His father warned him, before Sebastian could continue.

“I know.”

“You better, my son, because you know why we’re doing this.” Rinaldo said, standing up. “There’s no future for that marriage, Sebastian. It’s just a mere transaction to get Fortezza in peaceful terms, but once you two are ruling the city the future of that poor boy is going to change…forever.”

Sebastian gulped slowly, but nodded. He couldn’t deny that he liked Blaine, but he also knew his obligations as a member of his family and even though he wished things were different, he couldn’t betray his father. His family was more important.

“Don’t worry, father...I know what I have to do and I won’t disappoint you.”

“I know you won’t.” Rinaldo said, sure of himself. “You’re a Smythe!” He said with pride in his voice.

“I am.” Sebastian agreed, because he was, and like all his family said— _‘us the Smythe’s, we do not have a heart.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all for now, we're about to reach the middle of the story and things are about to get interesting...will Kurt manage to bring a talisman for Blaine? What's going to happen with Sebastian? Is Blaine really going to marry him? or, will he be able to convince his father to change his mind? Keep an eye for a new update and find out what's next for our boys :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New month, new update! This one is short because it marks the middle of the story so I really hope you like it! Anyways...enjoy!

Kurt was ready to go back to Bellezza, after all he had learned the day before about the talismans, he had a plan to bring one for Blaine. He didn’t share anything with his boyfriend yet; it was better not to get his hopes up. Kurt wasn’t sure himself if it was going to work. After all only two of the best _itineranti_ in the entire brotherhood had managed to bring objects to his world, one was the founder of the brotherhood himself and the other one was Kurt's master, and Kurt knew that his possibilities to succeed were very, very low.

“Goodnight, Finn!” Kurt said, poking his head through his brother’s room.

“Goodnight, bro!” Finn replied, not looking up from his video game.

Kurt locked his room and quickly changed into his pajamas. He knew what we wanted to be Blaine's talisman, so he grabbed the Warbler's copper pin that was on top of his nightstand and secured it inside his shirt, next to his heart. It was a romantic cliche, but he didn’t care. He wanted with all his heart for this to work. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and started his meditation routine to fall asleep faster.

A couple of minutes later, he opened his eyes again and found Ray seated in one of the chairs of the laboratory reading a book.

“Good morning!” The old _itinerante_ greeted him with his usual polite smile.

“Hi, Ray! I thought you’d be out. Weren’t you supposed to be interrogating the servant and the other man? Because you did capture them, didn’t you?” Kurt asked suddenly worried, he was fighting back the itch he had to check if the pin had made the journey to Bellezza.

“Yes, we have them in the dungeons, but before I go I have to give you a message.” Ray said, standing up and closing his book.

Kurt seized the small moment of distraction to check inside his pajamas' top, the pin was there. It had worked. And although he tried, Kurt couldn’t hide the smile that exploded from his lips. He had managed to bring a talisman...unbelievable, but true.

“The King wants to talk to you.” Ray continued, completely oblivious to the small celebration Kurt was having while he changed.

“What!? I mean, why?” Kurt asked a bit confused. He hadn’t talked to the King since he had saved his life.

“I think he just wants to thank you personally for saving his life. He’s waiting for you at the East office. If the butler is not outside the door then knock before you enter and when you’re done with that, meet me back here. Today I’ll teach you how to create pigments for textiles and fabrics. You mentioned you were interested in clothes designing back in your world, right?”

Kurt nodded.

“Well, here as you already noticed, clothes are considered pieces of art and not everybody can design them because the designers have to be able to prepare everything, from the color of the textiles, to the fabrics themselves. But I’ll try my best to prepare you so you can do that as an alternative activity during your visits.”

“So, can I be a Bellezzan clothes designer and a scientist?” Kurt asked intrigued.

“Yes, me for example, I am a scientist and a fireworks craftsman...it’s not as lucrative as a designer, but I really don’t need much. Being the Royal advisor has its advantages.”

Kurt laughed a little. “Okay, then I’ll meet you back here. I can’t wait to start with that!” He said excited.

Today seemed to be a very good day for him. He had managed to bring a talisman for Blaine, he was going to learn how to make pigments for textiles and fabrics, and after that he would spend some quality time with his boyfriend. _What could possibly go wrong?_

o-o-o-o-o

The King was signing and putting the Royal seal in the last law he had enacted when his servant, Arnold, entered the office, making a small reverence before speaking up.

“Your Majesty, Signor Armati’s apprentice, Mr. Hummel, requests an audience with you.”

“Make him come in, Arnold. I was waiting for him.” The King said, standing up and taking a seat in the small coffee table that was by the fireplace of the huge office.

“Your Majesty.” Kurt said, walking in and bowing his head a little to show respect.

“Take a seat please, Kurt.” The King said, motioning to the empty seat in front of him.

Kurt very slowly sat down and tried to ease his nerves. The King was a very intimidating man. He had a very strong aura and he couldn’t help but think that he was standing — well, actually sitting in front of the most powerful man in the entire Kingdom and probably of all Talia as well.

“My master informed me that you requested to talk to me.” Kurt said, trying to be as polite as possible.

“I did, first of all I wanted to properly thank you for what you did the other day. I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you if you hadn’t been there, so thank you. In my name, my family and the entire Kingdom's I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” The King said, extending his hand in a friendly gesture.

Kurt took it and tried not to wince with the pressure the King put into the handshake. He was a strong man; there was no doubt about it.

“It was nothing, Your Majesty, I’m just glad I was there when everything happened.”

“We all are, Kurt, we all are.” The King said, standing up and walking to the tray by the fireplace. “Would you like a glass of wine?” He offered, and Kurt just looked up a bit worried. A couple of days ago they had tried to kill him with wine. How could this man still enjoy wine was beyond Kurt.

"Don't worry, I know what you're thinking, but it's safe." The King said, smiling. "All the bottles brought to the palace are first checked by Raymond himself. So, would you like a glass of wine?" He offered again.

Kurt nodded. To say that this man intimidated him was an understatement.

“There you go.” The King said, offering Kurt a glass of red wine and taking his seat again.

Kurt took a small sip and internally squealed with the taste of the wine. It was the best wine he had tasted so far. “This is delicious.” He couldn't help but say.

“This wine is made in one of the islands, Torrone...have you been there?”

Kurt shook his head. “No, I’ve only been here.” He lied. It was better to keep all his getaways with Blaine from this man; after all it was his boyfriend’s father — his father in law. _‘Oh God.’_

“It’s not the most beautiful island, but it has its special charm. I enjoy to go to the cathedral to thank the Lady, besides they have great food and the best wine.” Richard Anderson added, taking a sip and putting his glass down.

“You’re probably wondering why you’re still here, am I right?” The King questioned, noticing that Kurt was completely silent.

Kurt just nodded. He couldn’t get himself to speak, much less to question the King.

“Well…” Richard trailed off, rubbing his temple. He knew that what he was about to ask to this boy was not going to be easy. He could recognize a man who was in love whenever he saw one, and Kurt was, without a doubt, one of them. “How much do you know about the dispute over territories between my family and the Smythe’s?”

“Just what Ray-I mean Signor Armati has told me.”

“Call him Ray, I call him by his name too...and what did he tell you?”

“That both families were the most powerful in all the Kingdoms of Talia and that the dispute between territories dates back to the second flood era.”

“Well, he didn’t lie. This crazy war between both families is a tale as long as time. Over the years we both have been gaining power upon the cities of this Kingdom. So far, we could say that the dispute is balanced. We have five cities, counting Bellezza which is the capital of the Kingdom, and they have five, including Remora which is our religion center.”

“Ray told me the Pope rules from there.”

“Yes, Francesco Smythe rules the city although it’s actually Rinaldo, his brother, the one in charge of all the political affairs. Francesco just uses his position as Pope to win sympathies and divide the Kingdom.”

Kurt didn’t know what to say, he wasn’t sure why the King was sharing all of this information with him. He had an idea, but didn’t want it to be true; because if his guesses were correct then he knew that the King was about to ask him to leave his son alone.

“Fortezza and Volona, the last two free cities, are neutral territory so far. They are part of our Kingdom, but neither the Smythe's or us are behind the ruling chair. These past years we have been trying to convince both rulers to give us their cities for the greater good, but Francesco made sure to offer them some religious benefits in exchange of not doing so, and as you can imagine, we haven’t succeeded.”

“Why is it so important for you to have those cities?”

“Because even though this is a monarchy ruled by my family, it’s not a secret that the family that rules the vast majority of the cities rules the Kingdom. Back in the time of the second flood, each city was independent of the other, all of them had their own ruler and their own laws, but after the flood, the people trusted my family with not only the power to rule Bellezza, but to start the construction of the Kingdoms in all Talia. Since that day, the Smythe’s made their main goal to try to steal us the Kingdom so they can later conquer the rest and proclaim the entire crown of Talia.” The King explained. “If they were good people, maybe we would have given them some say in the matter some decades ago, but they have always been sick of power and that sickness blinds them, they never put the people needs before them. The Smythe’s just care about the Smythe’s and that’s their only rule.”

“So, are you afraid they could take your crown if they gain more power?”

“Yes, if they manage to get Fortezza or Volona, or both, I’m sure they are going to request me to abdicate the throne. It’s a mathematical equation, the family with more cities under their belts rules the Kingdom.”

“Well, that doesn't sound good.”

“No, it does not, Kurt. We’re in a very dangerous position right now. And with the attempted murder they already committed, we know for sure what their intentions are. They want the crown and they will do whatever they have to do to get it.”

Kurt gulped.

“And that’s exactly what brings me back to this conversation.” The King said, shifting a little in his chair. “Yesterday I had an audience with Francesco and Rinaldo Smythe, the Pope and the Reman Ambassador.”

Kurt shifted in his own chair; he didn’t know what he was supposed to be doing or saying.

“I’m sure you already know something about the proposal they did us to get Fortezza and make it the first Anderson-Smythe city. Well, they want it to be Smythe-Anderson but those are just technicalities.”

Kurt nodded, now he was sure about the path this conversation was taking.

“Well, Kurt…” The King hesitated, “I know what’s happening between you and my son.” He said, making Kurt to blush. “I know Blaine's in love with you and Ray has told me about the way he glows when he talks about you, and I don't doubt that those feelings are reciprocated...that's why this is so hard." The King said, taking a new sip from his wine.

"He reminds me so much of myself when I was his age…but just like me, he has responsibilities with this Kingdom, and although I wished things could be different, they aren’t and-”

“And you want to ask me to stop seeing your son?” Kurt tried to guess.

“Not precisely, I can’t force any of you to be apart, doing so would only hurt you two even more, but I want you to understand why I'm doing this. I’m going to share with you everything so you can understand and if it’s not too much to ask, be there for Blaine when the time comes because I’m sure he will be heartbroken. Ray told me that besides being a couple you two are friends. I know that my son doesn’t have a lot of friends, just those two boys from town, but other than them, he’s very lonely and I know he’s going to need you. I haven’t talked to him yet, but I’ll do it tonight so that’s why I’m talking to you first, I want you to know in hope that you can help me with him.”

Kurt took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m listening.”

“A few months ago, Ray caught word, thanks to his spies set in Remora, that the Smythe’s were planning on joining our families to gain Fortezza. Ludovico Ripole, regent of Fortezza, has always been reluctant to give the city to just one of our families, so Francesco, in a very smart move, offered him a new solution. Give the city to both our families.”

“But how?”

“He told Ludovico that they were willing to join our families and make Fortezza the first jointed city _‘for the greater good of the Kingdom!’_ Obviously they were lying, but Ludovico didn’t know, still doesn’t know any of it. In fact, neither did we. They were plotting this whole master plan behind our backs, so when Francesco requested me an audience so our sons could meet I was very confused. I asked Raymond for help and waited to give an answer. Later, Raymond found out about the plan and I declined, saying that they could meet during the _ceremonia di sangue_ , but Blaine got sick that day and that’s why they met until this past Ball.”

“What’s the whole plan?”

“Well, according to the spies, Rinaldo wants Sebastian to marry Blaine and later, once they are ruling the city, kill my son so they can be the only rulers.”

“Kill Blaine? They are crazy!” Kurt exclaimed shocked, but then something clicked inside him. The King still wanted the marriage to take place, so, _did that mean Richard wanted to kill his own son?_ “I’m confused, if you know they want to kill Blaine, then why do you want him to marry that Smythe? I don’t understand…that doesn’t make any sense. It’s like a suicide mission. You’d be practically sending Blaine to his own grave.”

“We are aware of the risks, but it’s the only way. Think of it as the Smythe’s getting a dose of their own medicine.”

“Are you going to kill Sebastian?” Kurt asked terrified, he thought the Anderson’s were supposed to be the good guys of the story.

“No! Of course not!” Richard replied, as horrified as Kurt was. “However, we do have a plan. Sebastian is not entirely a bad boy, he’s just influenced by his family, and he seems to genuinely like Blaine.” The King said, and Kurt tried to ignore the twitch he felt in the pitch of his stomach. “So we’re hoping to either convince him to stop the plan and continue ruling Fortezza along with Blaine, or well...in the extreme case he refuses, we are going to sedate him. Raymond has a tonic that can make you fall asleep and feel tired for weeks. Using the right dose and keeping an eye on the boy, we could make sure he would be okay and Blaine could rule the city on his own.”

“Blaine knows about this?” Kurt asked mortified.

“No...he just knows we need him to gain Fortezza.” The King confessed, ducking his head a little ashamed. “I’ll tell him everything tonight.”

Kurt gulped. He knew Blaine was going to lose it when he knew what his family wanted to do, it was too much for him.

“And in the extreme case Sebastian refused and you hmmm, used the tonic...would you still keep the Smythe’s as part of your family?”

“Of course, we are not against a jointed ruling for the cities. What we won’t allow is the Smythe’s controlling the Kingdom because that would only end in a big catastrophe for all Talia.”

Kurt took a deep breath. The plan the Anderson’s had was as evil as the one the Smythe’s had plotted. Maybe it was not quite as lethal, but it was still not what Kurt had been expecting.

“And what happens if you don’t do anything. I mean, if you don’t force Blaine to marry Sebastian and you just ignore them and keep Fortezza as neutral territory?”

“Things in Fortezza are not fine, Kurt. Ludovico, its regent, is very sick and he has no heir so when the time for him comes, the city is going to be a _‘free’_ territory and well...a lot of people are very religious, Kurt. We devote ourselves to our gods so Francesco has a lot of power over Ludovico, I’m sure he would find a way to make him surrender the city to the Smythe’s in his deathbed.”

“And if that happens?”

“They’ll kill me eventually and probably my whole family so they can rule.”

“But how? I mean, if hypothetically the four of you died.” Kurt said, not noticing he was doing the good fortune sign — a strange habit he had acquired from all his time in Bellezza. “Didn’t your brothers and sisters get to rule the city?”

“They could if there was a younger brother or sister, but I’m the youngest and the last in the line, and since I was the one to take over the crown when my father died, the next ones in line are Cooper and Blaine. If Bellezza lost its royal family and remained with no heir, then the Pope would be the only one with the proper authority to impose a new King.”

“Which, obviously, would be one of them.”

“Exactly,” Richard nodded. “Do you understand now the situation in which we’re immersed? I hate to be the devil in the story, but you have to understand my position as the King of this land. I have priorities, I swore loyalty to my people and I have to think of them before myself. As Blaine’s father I’m devastated with this, Kurt. I wished with all my heart that my son could be happy with whoever he chose to be, but unfortunately that’s not possible. He loves you, but we both know that a story with the two of you ending together is not possible, for many reasons that I’m sure you’re very aware of.”

Kurt nodded.

“And don’t get me wrong, it’s not because you’re not royalty born, but because well...you’re from a different world.”

“I know,” Kurt muttered. He was completely aware of that.

“Ray informed me a long time ago that it is possible for people like you to well...stay here, but that would mean leaving your home and I’m sure that you have people in your world, family who would miss you dearly. Love can make us do crazy things, Kurt, that’s why I’m talking to you. I know my son, he’s reckless like I was when I was his age, so I’m sure he’s going to come up with something to try to stop this and be with you.”

 _‘He already did.’_ Kurt thought.

“I don’t want him to manipulate you and make you stay here, he’s very persuasive so I want you to know everything in advance, just in case.”

“Even if I decided to stay, you just said it...we can’t be together. He has obligations.” Kurt said, lowering his gaze. He felt some tears welling up in his eyes.

“Yes, he has obligations, and it kills me what's happening, Kurt, believe me that it does. I went for something very similar back when I was young and I really thought that my life was over. Maybe some day I’ll share that story with you, but just know that knowing that the love of my life was there with me supporting me from afar, helped me a lot to get the courage to do what I had to do.”

 _‘The love of his life? Was his marriage arranged too?’_ Kurt questioned internally, but didn’t voice his concerns.

“I know I’m putting you in a very complicated situation, Kurt, but I know that Blaine is really going to need you after tonight, so please...don’t leave him alone. He’ll need to know you’ll support him no matter what. I’m sure that your support will give him the courage he is going to need to marry a man he doesn’t love.”

Kurt took a deep breath. He understood everything and even though he didn’t approve the Anderson’s methods or the crazy plan, he knew there was no other option. If the entire Royal family was in danger, then he knew that trying to get control of the plan was the smartest decision. He didn’t want to be the reason behind the death of Blaine’s family, let alone the destruction of this wonderful city he had learned to love so much.

“I’ll try to help in anything I can.” Kurt whispered, _‘Even if that breaks my heart.'_ He thought to himself.

Suddenly the pin hidden inside his clothes felt very, very heavy.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine ran all the way up to Ray’s laboratory as soon as he finished his archery lessons. He was tired, physically and emotionally, it had been quite a day, but the thought of seeing his boyfriend kept him energized.

He opened the door and found Kurt mixing some jars of colorful liquids into some big copper bowls.

“Hey there, handsome!” He said, hugging Kurt from behind and making him spill some of the red color that he was pouring into the table.

“I’m sorry.” Blaine immediately apologized.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. I’ve been messing everything up today so a little bit more of tint on this table can’t hurt.” Kurt said, turning his head a little to kiss Blaine’s cheek.

“What’s that?” He asked intrigued.

“Just some fabric coloring. Ray is teaching me that to have some extra activity to do while I’m here. I told him I like clothes designing and he thought this would be a great idea.” Kurt said, trying to sound excited about it, but the conversation he had had with the King was still resounding in his ears.

“Are you okay?” Blaine said, noticing that sad look upon his boyfriend’s face.

“Walk with me?”

Blaine frowned confused. “Should I be worried?” He asked, “Are you going to break up with me?”  

“Not precisely…” Kurt said. “But we have to talk.”

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine guided Kurt to one of the gardens inside the palace and they took a seat by a fountain. The sound of the water crashing against the stone was the only sound that was heard for at least fifteen minutes until Kurt broke the silence.

“Your father talked to me.”

“What!?” Blaine asked alarmed.

“He’s going to talk to you tonight to share with you-”

“All about the meeting he had with Rinaldo and Francesco Smythe yesterday...I know.” Blaine said.

Kurt looked at him and couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “He’s going to talk to you about the arranged marriage.”

“I know, Kurt...I’ve overheard enough conversations about that already. I know everything about it. Even the parts I wished I didn’t know.”

“Then, do you know what they are planning to do to Sebastian if he doesn’t play along with your twisted side of the plan?”

“I know, and that’s why I also think it’s the best for me to just disappear and go to your world. That way nobody loses.” Blaine said, sure of himself and grabbing Kurt's hand.

“I don’t agree, I think it's a bad idea for you to go to my world.” Kurt finally said.

“Why?” Blaine asked calmly.

“Why? Because they could kill your father and your entire family! That’s why!” Kurt exclaimed, standing up.

“I know.” Blaine said, without losing his temper and looking up at Kurt. His boyfriend was very upset.

“And you don’t care?” Kurt asked exasperated. He couldn’t believe that Blaine was so...heartless. They were talking about his family.

“Of course I care, but let’s be honest for a minute, okay?" Blaine said, reaching out for Kurt to help him sit on his lap. "The death sentence upon my family isn't going to disappear just because I marry Sebastian. Even if the plan they have in mind worked, do you honestly think that the Smythe’s are going to be just okay with Sebastian knocked to death and I ruling Fortezza on my own?”

Kurt shook his head.

“Of course not,” Blaine continued, “They are sick of power. They would kill my family and myself eventually, Kurt. If I suddenly disappeared, though we know my body is going to die here, then the Smythe’s would have to think of a different plan and that would give my father some time to come up with something to gain Fortezza. Maybe even my death could soften Ludovico’s heart and he could give my father the city without even blinking...I heard he had a family loss recently, so they could play with that card.”

“But, could you live with yourself knowing that your family thinks you’re dead?”

“Yes.”

“And what if they die? Could you live with that? Because it would be our fault, Blaine.”

“I know...and believe me or not, I’ve been thinking about this for a very long time. Actually since I first saw you traveling from my chambers. At that time I didn’t know if you liked me the way I liked you, but I knew I wanted to be with you, and couldn’t help but think about having a future together. Even if that meant giving up on everything else.”

“It’s a very high price to pay.” Kurt murmured.

“I know, but I’d rather know that my father died knowing that I’m happy, than seeing him dying anyway, and I being unhappy and miserable with a man like Sebastian.”

A few tears rolled down Kurt’s eyes and Blaine leaned over and kissed them away.

“I know this is too much for you, and I don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want to, but if you’re worried about me not being conscious about the risks and consequences my actions will have, then don’t worry...I know what I’m doing and even though it hurts, I’m willing to pay it. Just don’t push me away from you. You’re everything to me.”

Kurt sobbed. “Do you love me that much?” Kurt asked. He now knew the immensity of the sacrifice Blaine was willing to make just to be with him.

“More than my own life, Kurt.”

Kurt lost it. He knew he had promised to help, but _how could he keep doing that when the man he had in front of him was telling him things like that?_ He was also young and reckless, and maybe it was the spur of the moment, but without thinking it, he reached inside his Lima clothes and took out the pin.

Blaine’s eyes widened in surprise.

Kurt didn’t say anything and just secured the pin inside of one of Blaine’s doublet’s lapels. “This pin represented my way out of hell back in my world.” Kurt explained, “Now it’s yours. I love you more than anything and I just want you to be happy. This whole idea is crazy, but so is the plan your family has, so I’ll be selfish and I’ll think just about us, but promise me that you’re going to wait...at least until next year. I want you to have your last holidays with your family...you do celebrate Christmas, don't you?”

Blaine just nodded; his eyes were welled up with tears.

“Okay, then I’ll make the proper arrangements back in my world during these weeks and I’ll teach you how to make the trip safe and sound.” Kurt said, wiping Blaine’s cheeks that were now covered in tears. “When everything is ready, I’ll let you know and you’ll come with me...forever.”

“I love you.” Blaine said, hugging him tightly.

“I love you too.” Kurt replied, and leaned back to kiss Blaine. Sealing with that kiss the pact that could change their lives forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be back sooner than you think, the next episodes will get a bit angsty so I'll try to post them quickly so you guys don't have to wait that long. See you in a couple of days ;)


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised I'm back with a new update. Unfortunately, this one will have only one chapter because the next update, which I'll be posting sometime during the weekend, will be quite long so...enjoy!

Without having to go to school, Kurt finally could catch up with the sleep he had been depraving himself since he first went to Bellezza. Oversleeping after returning from his daily night trips and napping for an hour or two when the house was empty were his two favorite holiday activities.

The preparations for Blaine to move definitely into his world were moving along. So far, Kurt had managed to collect some clothes for Blaine and had been coaching his boyfriend with all the things he needed to know in order to survive in the 21st century. The only remaining issue was still to find a place for Blaine to stay. Kurt had seen a lot of small apartments and rooms in Lima and some even in Westerville and Columbus, but they were too expensive and he couldn’t afford them. However he had a back up plan for that. When the time came he would ask Mercedes, his best friend, for some help. She was known for being a very humanitarian soul, so he was sure that as soon as he informed her that his boyfriend was homeless she would offer a room in her house immediately. Or at least that was what Kurt was hoping for.

It was still early and Kurt had just woken up when his phone notified him of an upcoming email. Rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleepiness, he took his phone and read it. It was an email from Mr. Schue.

“Weird.” He murmured. It was not unusual to receive an email from his teacher during school time, but during the holidays was a different matter.

He opened it and read, _“Kurt, how are you? Enjoying the festivities? Hope you are. I’m writing you this quick email because I just received a letter with the list of students who made it through the next round of auditions for NYADA and you’re in it. I know you just received your acceptance letter for the New York School for Design, and I think that the fashion design program at Parson is amazing, but this is a great opportunity too for you to explore this performer side of yours. Don’t forget we’re talking about one of the most prestigious schools of dramatic arts in the country. Whatever you decide it’s fine, just know that I’m so proud of you regardless of your decision. Anyway, attached to this email you’ll find all the information you need for the next audition and a copy of the letter I received. See you on January. Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Will.”_

“Oh, God.” Kurt muttered under his breath. He had never expected to make it through the next round of auditions for NYADA. If he was honest, he had just auditioned because Mr. Schue had insisted he had a great shot, but he wasn’t so sure — until now of course.

Performing on stage and fashion design had always been his two great passions, but since he got his acceptance letter for the Parson school of design a few days ago, he had dropped the Broadway-star dream and started picturing himself as the greatest fashion designer American had ever seen. And now, well, it seemed the two doors were open wide.

He meditated for a minute before replying. If he tossed the opportunity he was sure that at some point he would regret it, but also he couldn’t help but think he was better of as a fashion designer. Rachel had told him that NYADA was a big deal, _"Every Tony award winner has been there at some point,"_ She had said, but Kurt wasn’t so sure if performing was what he wanted to do for a living. Karaoke looked like a very appealing way to keep his instrument sharp and to relax during exam periods.

Taking a deep breath, he started to type an inconclusive reply. He couldn’t reject the opportunity just yet, but also he couldn’t accept it, so a polite, _‘I received the email, thank you very much Mr. Schue. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!’_ sounded like a good way to gain some time before making a definite decision.

He was finishing typing his reply when the door of his room swung open and Finn entered carrying a big basket of dirty clothes.

“Hi, bro!”

“Hi there, Finn...laundry?” Kurt asked, looking at the basket.

“Yeah, my mom came into my room and scolded me. She says it’s time for me to learn how to do this on my own.”

Kurt just laughed. He still didn’t know how his brother was going to survive the college experience. He didn’t cook, laundry always ended with him mixing his whites and colors, and his room was a war zone. He was the perfect illustration of a lazy teenager. However, Kurt knew he had a great personality so maybe he would manage to get someone to do all those things for him, just like Kurt did for him now.

“Don’t mix your colors with the whites this time and you’ll be fine.” Kurt said, smiling warmly at him.

“Thanks.” Finn smiled, “And…hmmm, are you coming to the party this Saturday?”

Kurt had been avoiding answering that question since Puck had volunteered himself to take care of the party.

“I don’t know.”

“Man! You can’t not go! It’s my birthday party! You’re my brother, it’s your duty to be there with me.”

“But-”

“Please, Kurt, just this time. You don’t have to be designated driver, the party is going to be at some warehouse Puck found and we were planning on just crashing there. We will take sleeping bags and everything. Come on! It will be fun!” Finn said, using his pleading eyes.

“You know I hate when you use that face. Okay fine! I'll go, happy?"

"Yes! Thanks!" Finn said, clearly pleased with himself. "By the way...my mom said dinner would be ready in ten, maybe less now."

Kurt smiled. "Thanks...I'll be there in a minute.”

"Okay." Finn said, walking away and closing the door behind him.

o-o-o-o-o

Cooper and Blaine were seated at the small coffee table in Blaine's chambers. After their weekly sword practice, the two brothers were just enjoying some time together before having to return to their respective activities.

"So...is Kurt spending the _Natale_ holidays here in Bellezza?"

"No, I already told you. He's going to spend them with his family."

“Is he going all the way back to Amerighi?” Cooper asked, sincerely intrigued.

"No, I think he's going to Padavia to stay with his grandfather." Blaine lied.

"But, he's coming back, right? I’d really hate to see you moping around the palace because your boyfriend left you.”

“Of course he’s coming back!” Blaine exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “Besides being with me, don’t forget he has obligations here. He’s Raymond’s apprentice.”

Cooper took a small sip from his wine. “You know? It’s curious, but I don’t get the scientist vibe from Kurt. I mean, you look at Raymond and you just know he’s a man of science, but Kurt?”

“What about him?”

“I don’t know, he seems to have a fascination for clothes, don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

“So what?” Blaine said, being a little defensive. “He likes clothes, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a scientist. Ray is the Royal advisor, a man of science and...a firework craftsman.”

“Fair enough,” Cooper said, “but I still don’t see him as a man of science, and it’s not a bad thing, on the contrary, I think he’d do better being just a Prince.”

That obviously caught Blaine off guard. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me..." Cooper said, smiling wickedly. "Haven’t you thought about it? If you married him then he would become a Prince too, don’t you think he could do great as part of our family?”

“Of course I’ve thought about it. But you know that can’t be.”

“Yes, father told me that they are already in talks to start the courting between you and Sebastian…are you sure you want to do this?”

Blaine took a deep breath. “Of course I don’t want to, Coop, you know that, but father didn’t leave me with a lot of options, so it’s either marrying him or marrying him.”

Cooper frowned. “Maybe there’s a different solution, maybe they just haven’t found it yet.”

“Well, if you find one it’s more than welcomed, but I doubt it. Father and Ray have been planning this for some months and apparently that’s the only way.”

Blaine noticed that Cooper zoomed out for a couple of seconds, getting lost in his own thoughts. “Did you hear what I said?” he asked.

“Yes, sorry I was thinking maybe-” Cooper was saying when the door of the room opened, and Agatha walked in.

“Sorry for interrupting Your Highnesses, but Mr. Hummel is here.” The woman said, making a small bow and walking away.

Blaine practically jumped from the bed and ran to the mirror to check his hair and straighten his clothes.

“Well, I think that’s my cue to go and mind my own businesses. I’ll see you around, okay? And well, if you two get bored of each other, come and sit with me at the library, okay? I’ll be doing some research.”

“About?” Blaine asked, with a hint of curiosity in his voice. His brother never, ever, volunteered himself to spend some time at the library. And much less doing _'research.'_ For him everything that had to do with books was boring.

“That’s my business, Lamb.” Cooper said, flashing his crooked smile and walking away from the room.

o-o-o-o-o

“So? What are your plans for the holidays, Kurt? Doctor Lombardi once told me that the Natale or Christmas in your world it’s pretty important.” Raymond, who was mixing some powders with Kurt’s help, asked casually.

“Yes, I think it’s safe to say that it’s the most important celebration of the year, and actually…” Kurt trailed off, leaving the mortar on the table and looking at his master.

“What is it?” Ray asked worried.

“Well, this Saturday is my brother’s birthday and since Christmas is just a couple of days later, my family decided it was a good idea to make a small trip. I’ll only be away for a couple of days. It’s not far, actually. We’re just going to Columbus because one of my aunts lives there and she broke her foot and she’s using a wheelchair, so it’s not like she can travel to Lima or anything. I mean she could, but it would be a total catastrophe since she's old and everything, and public transportation is not the best in my world so it's going to be a bit hard and since I'm going to be sharing room with Finn I won't be able to travel here and-”

“I understood half of what you said, but it’s okay, Kurt. You need to rest too, so these days off are going to help you, how long will you be away?”

“My brother has a party on Saturday night and we leave on Sunday morning...I guess we will be back on Wednesday.”

“So, I assume you’ll be at your brother's party, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, then you’ll be away at least five days.”

“Or less-” Kurt was saying when a familiar voice joined the conversation.

“What?” Blaine questioned. “Why are you going to be away at least five days?”

Kurt turned around and smiled. It was always a delight to see his boyfriend, but he couldn’t help to make a sarcastic remark about the interruption. “Hi! It’s nice to see you too, I missed you. I’m glad to see that you missed me too.”

Blaine smiled coyly and walked closer to where Kurt was standing, for a moment Kurt thought he was going to kiss him, but after a few seconds all Blaine did was give him a sweet kiss on the cheek. They had previously agreed to keep the PDA out of Ray’s sight. They knew he was okay with them as a couple, but he was still Kurt’s master and it seemed to be the right thing to do.

“I’m sorry...you’re right. Hi!” Blaine said, giving him a huge smile. “I’m glad to see you and I missed you a lot. Now…” He trailed off, “Do you care to explain what was that about you not being here for at least five days? I thought you’d be just away two days on your Christmas.”

Kurt took Blaine’s hands and explained everything to him, including the small fight he had had with his dad after he informed him about the impromptu Christmas' plans.

“Well, then I guess we will have to make the most of it during these two days we have left to be together.” Blaine said resigned.

Kurt nodded smiling, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be! It’s fine! It’s your brother’s birthday and you deserve to spend some time with your family, don’t worry, okay? It just took me by surprise, that’s all.” Blaine said with a reassuring smile. “Now, let’s go to the stables. I want to show you something.”

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt was nervous, he didn’t know what Blaine had in mind, but when he asked him to go with him to the stables he never imagined he would be blindfolded once they were there. They were at the main entrance of the gigantic stable and Paolo, the stable boy, was watching over him following Blaine’s instructions.

“Can I at least know, why do you have to watch over me?” Kurt asked.

“You heard what Your Highness said, to prevent you from spoiling the surprise he has for you.” Paolo replied, trying not to laugh. Kurt looked very desperate to know what was happening.

“But he knows I hate surprises! Well, I don’t actually hate them, but they make me anxious.” Kurt confessed, “Don’t tell him I told you that, okay?”

“Don’t worry my Lord, I’ll be as silent as a grave.”

“Please, Paolo, don’t call me Lord, we’re practically the same age. I’m just Kurt.”

“Okay, Kurt. I’ll be as silent as a grave.”

Kurt smiled. “Now, that we’re practically friends and everything.” Kurt said, trying to take advantage of the new familiarity, “Could you tell me what’s going on? I promise to act surprised when Blaine comes back. I’m a very good actor.”

Paolo pressed his lips into a hard line to prevent the laughter that was threatening to come out. “I’m sorry, Kurt, but I can’t.”

“Don’t be mean!”

“I am not, I’m just doing my job-” Paolo was saying when Blaine finally emerged and approached them.

“Thank you Paolo, I’ll take him from here. And thank you for your help.” Blaine said.

“You’re welcome Your-I mean, Blaine.” The boy said, bowing and walking toward one of the storage rooms of the stables.

“Are you ready?” Blaine asked Kurt, taking his hands and stroking them sweetly.

“I guess…” Kurt shrugged. The nervousness was evident in his voice.

Blaine grabbed Kurt from behind and helped him walked inside the stables. Kurt could feel that peculiar horse-smell getting through his nostrils. It wasn’t pleasant, but not bad enough to make him gag. Tolerable, he would say.

“Why are you dragging me inside of the stables blindfolded? If you prepared some kind of romantic lunch here, let me tell you that the smell is a mood killer, just so you know.”

Blaine giggled a little. “Don’t be impatient, we’re almost there.” Blaine said, and then they suddenly stopped.

“Wait here.” Blaine murmured, and rushed to open the door in front of him.

Kurt started to tap his foot on the floor just to make sure Blaine knew he was a very impatient man.

“Okay, now I’m going to uncover your eyes, but please don’t open them until I ask you, okay?”

“Fine.” Kurt said, unable to hide his anticipation.

Blaine removed the piece of cloth covering Kurt’s eyes and stood behind him — to give his boyfriend a better view of what they had in front of them.

“Open your eyes.” Blaine murmured, _“ Buon Natale!”_ He exclaimed excited the moment Kurt’s eyes snapped open.

In front of them there was a magnificent caramel horse. Kurt didn’t know a thing about horses, but this animal was beautiful. It had a gold coat with white mane and tail, and a very fancy saddle placed on its back.

“I wanted to wait after Christmas, but since you’re not going to be here I want you to have it now. My father and Ray know about it so you don’t have to worry,” Blaine rumbled. “His name is Pavarotti, it’s a palomino horse and it’s yours.”

Kurt was speechless for a few seconds; he was still contemplating the beautiful animal. He never knew he wanted a horse until now that he had one in front of him. Very carefully he took a step forward and placed his hand on the bridge of the animal’s nose. Pavarotti let out a snort from his nostrils and crooked his head a little. Kurt took that as his cue to pet him.

“He likes you.” Blaine murmured, contemplating the whole scene just a steps behind. “Do you like him?”

It was only then that Kurt turned around to face his boyfriend. “Are you kidding?” He said, “It’s wonderful!” He exclaimed, running back to Blaine and hugging him tightly to later kiss him senselessly.

When they broke apart, Kurt frowned. He hadn’t contemplated the small detail that was now running through his mind. “There’s just one thing, though.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know how to ride a horse.”

Blaine laughed. “Well, in that case...welcome to your first riding lesson. My name is Blaine Devon Anderson and I’ll be your teacher. Are you ready?”

Kurt immediately nodded excited.

The two boys changed into some riding clothes and then walked out the stable both pulling Snowflake and Pavarotti respectively from their bridles, and holding each others' free hands.

o-o-o-o-o

From afar, in one of the palace’s windows, a man was looking to the gardens. From his window he could also see the warehouses, the sword practicing field and the stables. Coming out from the main gate, he spotted two familiar silhouettes.

“How cute they are.” He whispered under his breath, smiling fondly at the scene displayed in front of him.

“Randy!” He suddenly yelled.

A young woman ran into the room and bowed, “Did you call me, Your Highness?”

“Yes,” Cooper said, turning around to face her. “How long have you been working here?” He asked, the books of records he had been reading for a few hours were still scattered open all over the floor.

“All my life, Your Highness. My mother died when I was a baby and my grandmother, who is one of the cooks, took care of me.” The serving-maid explained.

“Perfect!” Cooper exclaimed, apparently satisfied with the answer she had given him. “How old is your grandmother?”

“72 years old, Your Highness.” She replied, although she had no idea why the Prince suddenly had to know that.

“Could you ask her to come here? I'd like to have a word with her.” Cooper said.

“Right away, Your Highness. Anything else I can do for you?”

“No, that’s all.” He said, turning around. But thinking it twice he added, “You know what? Yes, when your grandmother is here don’t let anyone enter the library, okay? Not even my father. If someone comes...say I fell asleep and requested to be left alone, understood?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The serving-maid said, walking away.

Cooper walked to the nearest book and murmured under his breath, “Now let’s find out more about you Ludovico Ripole.” While he made some notes in the parchment he had been using.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said earlier, the next update will be posted during this weekend, due to the content of the chapters (angst, well...sort of) I'm still not sure if I'm going to upload 5 chapters at once or 2 one day and 3 more the other...we'll see. Anyway, see you soon!!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update is going to be very, very long. I decided to upload 5 chapters all at once, so I really hope you like it. Like I warned a few chapters ago we're reaching the first angsty part of this story so read carefully. More notes at the end of CH25.

Carole, carrying a small chocolate cake, opened the door of Finn's room. It was still very early in the morning, but Kurt had insisted to wake Finn before ten because they both had to finish packing for their Christmas trip and get ready for the party.

"Ready?" She whispered to Kurt and Burt, who had followed her and were standing behind her.

Burt and Kurt nodded at the same time and they started to sing the happy birthday song to wake the birthday boy. Finn rolled from one side to the other of the bed clearly uncomfortable with the noise, but his family kept singing. After just a few seconds he finally opened his eyes and smiled at them.

"Oh, Geez! Thank you, guys!" Finn said, rubbing his eyes and sitting up on the bed.

"Happy birthday!" They all exclaimed.

"Make a wish, son." Carole said, leaning the cake just a bit to help Finn have better access to the candles.

Finn blew the candles and as they all clapped excited, Burt took out a small envelope from one of his khaki vest pockets.

"This is our gift for you, buddy. We didn't know what to get you so we thought you'd probably like having the money instead. Use it well and don't spend it all buying video games. A little bird told me you'll receive some new ones on Christmas."

Finn smiled pleased with both the news about his new video games and the unexpected money, and when he opened the envelope his smile just widened more. Kurt didn’t know how much it was, but by Finn’s face it looked like it had been a considerable amount.

Kurt, who was holding a gift behind his back, handed his brother his present. "Here, I bought you this." He said with a smile.

Finn took the huge bag and opened it. Inside there was a brand new jacket from the Ohio university which Finn would be attending in just a couple of months, a framed picture of the two of them during one of their Friday family dinners, and a fancy black alarm clock.

"I knew you wanted the jacket since we first visited the university and now that they have accepted you, I thought it would be right for you to have one, as an official member and everything. The alarm clock and the picture are so that you don't miss me too much when you're all alone over there...I have a copy of that picture to take with me to New York." Kurt said, smiling at his brother.

Finn laughed, but he looked happy with the gift. "Come on!" He said, "Give me a hug, little brother!" He exclaimed, opening his arms widely and motioning Kurt to move closer.

Kurt laughed, "I'm not that little, we're practically the same age, Finn." He complained, making a face to his brother, but still hugging him tightly.

"I know that, but until May I get to call you little brother. Let me at least enjoy it.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but a smile escaped from his lips.

After a series of hugs, Burt looked at the clock on the wall and said, "Well...I know it's your birthday and everything buddy, but you have to finish packing. Your mother and I will make breakfast while you get ready, okay? You have a big day ahead so hurry up!" Burt said, patting Finn and Kurt on the back and walking hand in hand with Carole out of the room.

“I still have to pack some things, I’ll see you in a few, okay?” Kurt said. Since they wouldn't have time later with the party and everything, Kurt had almost everything packed, but he still had to do some laundry to pack some extra clean clothes, just in case.

“Okay, yeah I’ll start packing and probably leave around three. Puck is picking me up, do you want a ride?”

“No, I’ll take my car.”

“Okay, fine...but you’re still going, right?”

“Yes, of course. I promised to go, so don’t worry, I’ll be there.”

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt had just finished packing and was finally getting ready for his brother’s party. He was changing his outfit for the millionth time when his phone started to ring. Running to his bed, he picked it up without even looking at the screen.

“Hello?”

 _“Hi, Kurt! It’s me, Mercedes. I’m on my way to Finn’s party, do you want me to give you a ride?”_ She said over the phone.

“No, thanks Cedes, I’ll take my car. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep there anyway, you know how picky I am.” He said, as a matter of explanation.

_“Okay, as you wish. Then I’ll see you there, okay? Don’t take too long!”_

“I won’t, see you in a few, bye!”

Kurt returned to his closet and continued with his outfit selection. Looking at himself in the mirror, he suddenly imagined the clothes he wore every night/day in Bellezza, and couldn’t help but look at his closet with some disdain. He had good clothes, but he was somehow more comfortable wearing those velvet doublets and long cloaks, with the tight breeches and the leather boots.

“Kurt, are you ready?” Finn asked, poking his head through the door.

“I just have to find the right jacket and fix my hair, why?”

“Puck is here, so I’ll go. I know you said you’d take your car, but are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Don’t worry, I’ll probably arrive at the same time as you, go! You’re making me waste time!” Kurt shooed his brother.

“Okay, then see you there!”

“Yes! Go!”

Finn laughed and closed the door behind him, leaving Kurt still looking for the perfect jacket.

o-o-o-o-o

Once he was pleased with what the mirror reflected, Kurt walked down the stairs and said goodbye to his dad and Carole.

“I’ll see you guys later, I won’t stay there.” Kurt informed them.

“Okay, fine, but if you think it’s too late or you drink something please just stay there, okay kid? Don’t risk your life for nothing, and if you need me to pick you up just give me a call, okay?”

“Yes, dad.” Kurt said, trying not to roll his eyes. “I’ll be fine. I won’t stay long anyway, and if I need anything-”

“You’ll call me.” Burt said, completing the sentence.

“Yes, I will.” Kurt said petulantly. “Now, I better get going or else I’ll be late and Mercedes and Finn are going to kill me!”

“Okay, drive safely!” Burt said, hugging Kurt and squeezing him tightly. A strange and chilling sensation ran through Kurt’s body, but he tried to put it aside and proceed to hug Carole instead.

“Have fun, Kurt!” Carole said.

“I will.” He said, although he was not so sure if he believed that himself. It was not a secret that he didn’t like parties that much.

With one last wave to his dad and Carole, Kurt walked out the door, with that strange chill still going through his body. Shaking his head, he climbed into his car and put the address Finn had given him in the GPS, and drove away.

o-o-o-o-o

When Puck first volunteered to host the party, Kurt thought it would be in Puck’s place, but just a few days ago he had informed them, during one of the Glee rehearsal that he had found a place at the far end of town that would be perfect for a party. He said that it was like an old warehouse where they could listen loudly to their music and even set a karaoke. Kurt had thought it was more like one of those abandoned buildings, but now that he was looking at the building he noticed that it was, indeed, a warehouse. Dim and dusty with cracked linoleum walls, hard cold concrete floors, elongated shadows from long-forgotten crates and even what Kurt thought were skitters of mice.

“Nice.” He whispered sarcastically.

But the aspect of the warehouse was not the only thing that had Kurt with an unpleasant expression upon his face. Besides looking like a dumpster, the place was insanely crowded. Finn had told him it was going to be a small party, but by the look of the people coming in and out of the doors, and all the cars trying to find a spot, Kurt suspected that at least half the school was there.

“Crap!” Kurt muttered, when someone parked his Jeep in the spot he had just seen.

After driving around the warehouse for ten minutes, Kurt finally found a spot at the far end of the parking place. It was a bit far from the main entrance, but he thought it was not that bad because later, when he wanted to go, he would not have to ask for someone to move their car.

He was making his way across the parking lot when a familiar voice shouted from the other side of the endless rows of cars.

“Kurt!” Artie, the guy in the wheelchair from his Glee club, exclaimed. Making his way to where Kurt was standing.

“Hi, Artie!” Kurt replied, relieved to see a friend in the flood of unknown faces.

“I’m just arriving too, this place looks fantastic!”

“Yeah.” Kurt replied, trying to mimic the enthusiasm, but as much as he saw the warehouse he couldn’t find it _‘fantastic’_ in the least.

“Let’s go!” Artie exclaimed excited, and Kurt nodded; wheeling his friend’s chair inside the place.

o-o-o-o-o

It took Kurt some time to find Mercedes, but when he finally did, he practically glued to her. As Kurt had guessed when he first arrived, half the school was there, and Kurt didn’t feel comfortable around them, so he thought it was better to just be with his friends.

“So...are you finally going to tell me what’s going on with you nowadays? You’ve been acting weird these past months.” Mercedes yelled through the music.

“I met someone.” Kurt confessed.

“What!?” Mercedes exclaimed excited. “Why haven’t you told me? Come on! Spill it! I demand to know every single detail!”

“His name is Blaine, he’s a few months younger than me and well...we’ve been dating for some months now.”

“Oh my God, Kurt! Where did you meet him?”

For a moment Kurt thought about telling her the truth, but it was neither the right time nor the place to reveal such a thing. “At some place I’ll tell you about later...though sometimes I think I met him in a dream.” He said, partially lying. He sometimes thought that when people asked him where he had met the love of his life, he would have to answer that he had met him in a dream. Because still until now, it all seemed like a dream.

“Why haven’t you introduce him to us? Does your father know about him?”

“No! Nobody knows, you’re the first one to know. That’s why I haven’t brought him here. But you’ll meet him soon.” Kurt said, since Blaine would be with with in just a couple of weeks.

“Oh my God, Kurt!” She said, hugging him excited. “I’m so happy for you! But, how’s he like? Is he handsome? Cute?”

“He’s the cutest!” Kurt said, relieved to finally be able to gush about his handsome boyfriend with someone. “And the handsomest man ever. He’s like a Prince of one of those fairy-tale books. Picture a European version of Montgomery Clift.”

“Huh?”

"Before the accident of course."

"Okay..."

“Yeah, or a baby between this guy from _'Revenge'_ Joshua Bowman and Adam Brody.”

“Adam Brody? Is that the guy from The O.C?”

“Yes, mix them together and you’ll have a pretty close version of my Blaine.” Kurt said, smiling. “Well, not entirely, but pretty close. He has a slightly more tanned skin, curly dark hair and the most beautiful hazel eyes that you have ever seen.”

“Wow, then he sounds like a walking version of Michelangelo’s David.”

“He is.” Kurt said. “When you meet him you’ll see that I’m not kidding.”

“Then I can’t wait to meet him!” Mercedes clapped excited, “Please tell me you’re going to introduce me to him soon.” She begged.

“Of course, at the first chance I have.”

“You promise?”

“Promise.” Kurt said with a smile.

o-o-o-o-o

The party went smoothly and despite Kurt’s first insecurities, he was actually having fun. He had been dancing and singing nonstop with Mercedes, Tina and the rest of the girls from the Glee Club, but it was getting late and he still had to drive all the way back home.

“I think I’ll go now.” Kurt whispered to Mercedes.

“No, please stay! We’re having a blast. If you want you can sleep with me in my car, I won’t stay in the floor like the rest of the girls. I have back problems.”

“No, I’d rather go home. I’m having fun, but tomorrow we leave very early so I need to rest. I can’t sleep when we’re traveling, I always get motion sickness.”

“As you wish...but drive carefully, okay? And text me when you’re home safe and sound.” She warned him.

“I will...see you after Christmas.” He said, giving his best friend a bone-crushing hug. “Hope the man in red brings you a lot of stuff! “ He said, winking at her.

“You too, although with your new man, I don’t know what else you could wish for.” She replied playfully.

“You’re right, he’s my best Christmas gift. But if Santa decided to bring me one or two of those new cardigans of Marc Jacobs’ new collection I wouldn’t complain.”

Mercedes burst out laughing and rolled her eyes playfully at her friend. “You never change.”

Kurt smiled and shrugged. “Take care!”

“You too!”

o-o-o-o-o

After finding Finn and informing him that he would be driving back home, Kurt walked out the still crowded warehouse and inhaled deeply. It was a cold winter night and he still had to drive for at least 30 minutes, so he pressed his jacket tightly around his arms and walked toward his car.

He was just reaching the spot where he had left it, when he saw that a group of guys were standing in front of his car, and some of them where even seated in the trunk. He thought about going back, but he really just wanted to go home and sleep a little, so he took a deep breath and approached them.

“Hi, hmmm...excuse me? Could you please move, this is my car and-”

“And what faggot?” One of them exclaimed. Kurt didn’t know this boy, but he looked young — a freshman or sophomore, he assumed. The guy was wearing one of the McKinley’s football team jackets so he assumed he was part of the team.

“I’d like to go home.” He whispered.

“And, what if we don’t want to move?” The same guy said.

Kurt didn’t know what to say, a part of him was starting to regret not having stayed behind. All the alarms in his head were now in defcon mode. He hadn’t seen the rest of the group, but he assumed that there must be at least ten of them — all part of McKinley's football team.

“Did a cat eat your tongue, faggot?” Another guy asked. He looked familiar, Kurt was sure he had seen him talking with Finn during the games. He was a junior.

“No, I just don’t know what to say.” Kurt replied honestly, but could not hide his trembling voice.

“Awww, look guys!” The first boy exclaimed. “The faggot is afraid of us!” He said, “But don’t worry, we don’t bite.”

Kurt tried not to look him directly in the eye and just started to walk back to the warehouse. He was suddenly very aware that there seemed to be no one else around them, and that the boys looked pretty drunk.

“Are you leaving us so soon?” A tall toned boy said, stepping forward.

Kurt could recognize this guy. He was Dave Karofsky’s wing-man. They were always together and if he was here that meant that-

“Karofsky…” Kurt murmured under his breath, when he noticed his worst nightmare standing in front of him.

“My friend asked you a question, Hummel!” Dave said, snapping his fingers to rush Kurt to answer to whatever the other guy had asked.

“I’ll just go back to the party.” Kurt said, already rushing back, but when he turned around the rest of the boys were suddenly around him. They all wore wicked smiles on their faces, and smelled like booze and cigarettes.

“Why don’t you stay with us for a little, huh?” The first guy said.

“No, thank you.” Kurt replied politely. “I’ll go back to the party.”

“Too bad...we could have had a lot of fun.” Dave’s friend said.

Kurt didn’t reply and just started to walk in the opposite direction, but the boys kept surrounding him. Instinctively, when one of the boys pushed him from behind Kurt turned around and pushed him back, making him trip.

“You’re going to regret that faggot!” The boy exclaimed from the floor, and stood up with a quick jump.

In that moment Kurt saw his whole life passing before him — his dad, Carole, Finn, Mercedes, Ray, Bellezza and Blaine. “Please don’t!” He pleaded.

“Don’t what? You should have thought that before pushing me!” The boy said, hitting Kurt’s jaw and making him take two steps backwards, which caused him to crash against one of the other boys, who took that little contact as an aggression and hit him back.

Soon, he had the whole group on him and they were all beating him mercilessly. Laughing and kicking him as Kurt crawled himself into a ball in the cold floor. Kurt fought to stay awake, he knew that if he lost consciousness, he would never wake up again. He could barely hear what they were saying. His whole body ached and he was sure that he was bleeding from everywhere. The cold from the floor felt numb against his aching face.

While the attack kept going, Kurt closed his eyes, wishing he could just be in Bellezza at that moment. He imagined himself walking hand in hand with Blaine through those colorful streets and complicated set of tunnels and canals. Sharing small sips of one of those wonderful red wines and kissing each other under the sunlight while their friends make fun of them for being such a sappy couple, as they liked to call them.

When he realized that the boys didn’t seem to want to stop hitting and kicking him, he resigned to his imminent fate. He was almost sure he wouldn’t make it out alive. Even though he was fighting to stay awake, the darkness was calling him and if he was sincere, he’d rather faced the uncertainty of the blankness than the pain he felt in every inch of his body. Surrendering himself to the void sensation, Kurt took one last breath and thought of Blaine.

_‘I love you.’_

His body finally surrendered and he stopped fighting against the urge to stay awake. There was no point, he knew it.

The last thing he heard before completely losing consciousness was Dave asking his friends to stop — or at least that was what he thought he heard. At that point he was not sure of anything anymore.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine entered Ray's laboratory late at night, he had been anxious the whole day, Kurt was supposed to have returned to Bellezza a day ago, and now he was two days late.

“Do you have any news from Kurt?” He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“No, Blaine. I already told you. He probably had to stay more days with his family. Don’t worry, he’s only two days late.” Ray said, trying to ease Blaine’s anxiousness. He had been a nightmare for everyone since Kurt had last visited them.

“Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry, I just miss him so much.” Blaine said.

“I know, you two have been attached from the hip since you met. This is the first time you’ve been apart from each other for more than one day.”

“I know, these seven days without him have been the worst!” Blaine confessed.

“I know. Your father even asked me if I knew what was going on with you after your little tantrum yesterday. I told him that you were just having a bad week, though I’m sure he suspects the real reason.”

“It was not a tantrum, okay? I just expressed my opinion.” Blaine explained, trying to defend himself.

“By smashing the plates and storming out without finishing your dinner?” Ray questioned playfully.

Blaine smiled ashamed. He had actually made quite a mess during dinner last night, but it hadn’t been his fault. His father had started bothering him with the whole wedding details and pressuring him to go to Remora to propose to Sebastian, and he simply lost it.

“Well, I may have overreacted.”

Ray just smiled warmly. “Would you like to stay for the monthly card reading?” He said, “I was about to dealt my cards.”

“You haven’t done it yet?”

“Not since last month, and to be honest? I’m curious to know what the cards have for us now. With Kurt saving your father’s life, you two practically falling in love, and us discovering the Smythe’s plan I think it’s safe to say that the reading I had been having for months is finally about to change.” He said, clearly excited.

“Okay, yes...let’s see what they say. Maybe that will help me ease my nerves.”

Ray nodded and walked to his cabinet, taking the black velvet package from there and placing it on the small reading table.

Blaine took a seat in front of him and waited until the old _itinerante_ set everything. Only the dim light from the candles illuminated the room and Blaine, although other times, felt a cold chill running through his body.

Ray took a deep breath and whispered, _'here we go,'_ before start placing the cards on the table. The moment the first card was revealed, both Ray and Blaine froze. It was the Prince of Air.

Carefully Ray started placing the rest of the cards, and to his and Blaine’s surprise, he had dealt the exact same pattern he had been having in the last few months, just with one of the cards inverted — the Tower.

“I don’t understand.” Ray whispered, because he truly didn’t understand. He had thought that with all the recent events the reading would be different. The cards had warned him about possible changes and danger, and everything had already happened. The symbols he had managed to get from his previous readings had all somehow being related to Kurt — the book, the young boy, the lovers. Even the number sixteen had ended up being the moon phase which coincidentally was on the night Kurt saved the King’s life and–

“I think Kurt is in danger.” He said, noticing the cards that until now he had thought were just mere arcanas.

“What?” Blaine questioned, “I mean, why?”

“I thought these cards,” Ray said, pointing to the Hanged Man, the Moon and the inverted Tower. “Were just circumstantial arcanas, but now I’m not sure.” He hesitated.

“Why?”

“Because Kurt is not here, and according to this…” He said, pointing to the inverted tower. “The Prince of Air, should be here.”


	22. Chapter 22

After what Raymond said, Blaine’s heart stopped working. It was like if suddenly everything made sense. Now he was sure that all the anxiety he had been feeling since Kurt had last visited Bellezza was not because he was an overprotective and insanely demanding boyfriend, it was because he could truly feel that something was not right with the love of his life.

“We have to go and help him!” Blaine suddenly said, thinking all kind of scenarios in which Kurt was in danger.

“I could go, but it would take me at least a whole day to go there. I don’t know if Kurt told you, but the talismans only take you to the city from which they come from. My talisman is from their England — our Anglia — and that’s very far away from where Kurt lives, I’d have to cross the entire ocean to get to their America and not to mention that I don’t even know where he lives.”

“But I do…” Blaine suddenly said, “And I could get to America myself.”

“What!?” Ray said, standing up and drastically smashing his hands against the table.

Blaine sighed. “I have a talisman.” He confessed.

“You what!?” Raymond exclaimed, “Why? How? Who gave it to you?” He demanded.

“Kurt.”

“And you choose precisely this moment to tell me!?"

“I’m sorry, okay?” Blaine said, “With all the arranged marriage plan and everything, I decided that I didn’t want to be apart from him, so I asked him if he could bring me a talisman from his world. He agreed, it took us some time to figure out how to do it, but he did and although father, without knowing about the talisman, tried to sabotage our plan, I somehow convinced Kurt and we’ve been planning this for weeks. I was going to travel there in just a few days...during the first weeks of January.”

Ray sat back on his chair to process all the information. He couldn’t believe what Blaine had just said. “And what about your parents, your brother...me? Were you just going to go without saying goodbye?”

“Yes...” Blaine confessed. “I was going to leave you a letter, but yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t live without him, Ray. And I can’t stand the idea of marrying Sebastian. And since you all seem to think that the arranged marriage is the only choice we have, I decided to be a little selfish and pursuit my own happiness.”

“But-”

“I’m really sorry, Ray, but you know me and I wouldn’t have told you any of this if Kurt wasn’t in danger. I know you’re mad and probably in shock, but you can scold me all you want later. Right now I need you to help me practice _itineranzza_ or whatever that thing you do is called...I need to go see Kurt.”

o-o-o-o-o

Rinaldo Smythe was fuming. Not only his plan to kill the King had failed a few days ago, but now it looked like the crown had put spies on him. Not that he wouldn’t have done the same if the roles were inverted, but the situation still managed to make him boil with rage.

"Are you completely sure?" He asked Enrico, his most valuable servant.

"I am, my Lord. I caught them looking into the official records."

"Kill them then, but before that find out what information they managed to get." Rinaldo ordered.

"Right away, my Lord." The man said, without even blinking at the thought of killing someone. To this point he was used to it, it was a common thing to do. When someone was on the way of his masters, he was always the man behind the knife.

"Now go, and please bring my son here. I have to talk to him."

Enrico nodded and walked away.

No less than ten minutes later, the door of his office swung open and Sebastian walked in, closing the door behind him.

"You wanted to see me, father?" The young man said.

"Yes, sit down please." Rinaldo said, pointing to the empty chair.

Sebastian sat down and waited for his father to speak, but the man said nothing and just took out a silver box with the Smythe’s coat of Arms. Sebastian gasped in surprise. He didn’t have to ask to whom that box had belonged, he already did. All the family knew and had treasure it for generations.

“Why are you holding my great, great, great, great uncle’s box?” Sebastian asked, not darting his eyes away from the box.

“Because…” Rinaldo said, opening the box and rummaging inside it. “As you already know, some of our plans crumbled down a few days ago and we have to rush things between you and Richard’s son.” He said, still looking for something inside the box.

“Okay...and, why do you need uncle’s belongings. I thought that box was as sacred as my Uncle’s Francesco piscatorial ring.”

“It is, Sebastian. It is...but there’s something inside here that I want you to have.”

Sebastian frowned even more confused.

“Uh-huh!” Rinaldo exclaimed, when he finally found what he was looking for. It was a ring. “Here take this.” He said, handing his son the silver ring.

“But-” Sebastian hesitated, “I mean, are you sure?”

“Of course, it’s appropriate...don’t you think?” Rinaldo said, smiling mischievously.

“Well, yes but-” Sebastian trailed off, looking at the ring.

“It’s fine, my son. It’s a win-win situation for us. With you proposing with that ring, the poor boy will think it was a sweet gesture since technically it will have his initials when he becomes your husband, but we know better. We will make the Anderson’s pay for what they did to your uncle all those years ago.”

“By poisoning their Prince too.” Sebastian whispered, when he finally understood his father’s whole plan. There had always been the believe that during the second flood and after the incident Queen Leonora Anderson suffered while dancing with the young Smythe Prince, the King had poisoned him as a revenge for his wife’s deformed face — consequence of the incident.

“Indeed...don’t you think it’s brilliant? Finally, after over two hundred years we’re going to be able to avenge Bruno Smythe...who would have thought that you would be the one in charge of doing it, huh? Consider it an honor.” Rinaldo said, smiling proudly at his son.

“Well, it’s certainly ironic and I agree it is time for them to pay. Let’s just hope they agree to keep our surname first, I don’t want to be an Anderson-Smythe.”

“Don’t worry, my son, they’ll accept. You just need to propose first and since the boy has no other choice he will say yes.”

“I hope so.” Sebastian said, smiling broadly and trailing with his fingers the letters — _‘B.S’_ — engraved on the ring. They stood for Bruno Smythe, but his father was right. Everybody was going to think it was a sweet touch to welcome his future husband into the family.

 _‘Blaine Smythe.’_ He thought to himself, and despite the fact that he knew he couldn’t allow himself to fall in love with Blaine, or develop any kind of attachment to him, he couldn’t deny either that he liked the sound of that. It was not a secret that he liked the boy in a superficial way, and he was willing to, at least, have fun with him while killing him slowly.

o-o-o-o-o

After some time of discussing the pros and cons against Blaine traveling to Kurt’s world, Ray finally agreed. He didn’t look convinced, but he was as worried as Blaine was for the well being of his apprentice.

“I still think this is a bad idea.” Ray said, one last time trying to convince Blaine, but the young Prince was sure of what we wanted and had to do.

“Well, like I already told you. I don’t care if you think this is a bad idea, you can either help me go safely or I’ll go on my own and you’ll have to explain to my father why suddenly I died.” Blaine said, already dressing himself more simply with just a white cotton shirt and a pair of his dark breeches, no coat, doublet or jerking. He felt naked, but Kurt had warned him about the excessive amount of clothes already.

Raymond rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. I’ll help you, but you have to promise me that you won’t stay there, you have to come back,” He said, “...at least for now.”

“What?” Blaine asked.

“I won’t tell you not to stay in Kurt’s world if that’s what you want, Blaine, but not now...we have to make sure everything’s fine with him first.”

“Really?” Blaine asked stunned.

“Yes, but promise me that you’ll come back tonight. As soon as you have news or if it starts to get dark, okay? It’s the only way I can protect you from here.”

“Okay, fine. I promise. But you won’t take my talisman when this is over, right?”

“No...it’s yours and you’ll do with it whatever you want.”

“Okay, then help me sleep...Kurt showed me how to meditate, but I’m way too anxious to try that now.”

“Let’s go to my chambers, I think it’s safer to make the trip from there and I’ll help you meditate, it’s the only way I can help you right now…I’ll prepare some tonics for later.”

“Okay, then let’s go!”

“And your talisman?” Ray asked, a little bit intrigued.

“Here,” Blaine said, taking the talisman from one of his pockets.

“Have you been carrying it around?” Ray asked, giving Blaine a disapproving look.

“Yes, I thought it would be safer.”

“We’ll have to talk about this when you’re back, but just remember that people would kill for it, okay?”

“Okay.” Blaine replied, suddenly feeling not qualified for the honor to be a _itinerante_.

“Can I see it?” Ray asked.

Blaine very hesitantly handed it to him. The old _itinerante_ took it and a smile immediately spread on his face.

“Copper…” He said, remembering the talk he had had with Kurt a few weeks ago. “Very, very clever. Now I get why he asked so many questions.”

Blaine grabbed the pin back and rushed Raymond so they could reach the room as soon as possible. The old _itinerante_ asked him about the details he already knew about Kurt’s world and Blaine quickly filled him in.

“–and I know Kurt’s address by heart. He told me that once I got there I should go to the street and get into a cab, which is like a carriage but without horses.”

“I know what a cab is.” Ray said, “But you have to pay for those, money doesn’t work the same way there than in here, Blaine.”

“I know, but I’ll come up with something, don’t worry. I don’t care walking all the way until I get to Kurt’s house.”

“I know you don’t care, but remember that you won’t have a shadow, you can’t let people from that world to notice it...try to get a _'ride'_ as they call it, and ask someone to take you there without paying them. You could say that you lost your parents and that you don’t have any money with you.” Ray suggested.

“That sounds like a good idea...I’ll try that.” Blaine said, already settling himself on the bed.

“Okay, well it’s time. Just try to think of Kurt’s world although you don’t know it and close your eyes, I’ll help you make some relaxation exercises, please don’t forget to come back before dark or we both will be in a lot of trouble.”

“Okay...wish me good fortune.” Blaine said, making the gesture with his hand and placing his head on the pillow.

“Good fortune.” Ray murmured, mirroring the gesture and proceeding to help Blaine to fall asleep.

o-o-o-o-o

The mood in the crowded table at the Lima Bean coffee shop was the same as it had been since they had arrived. Mercedes had called for an emergency meeting and almost the whole Glee Club was there, except three of its members — Rachel, Brittany and Mike. They were still on vacation, but they had filled them in already with everything related to Kurt’s health.

They all had some drinks in front of them, but nobody was really drinking them. They all were there, but their hearts and minds were somewhere else — at the hospital, were their friend lay unconscious.

“Have any of you heard any recent news?” Tina asked.

“The swelling in his brain already relented, but he still has not awakened. The doctor says it’s probably for the best since he has three broken ribs, the concussion, the dislocated shoulder and a lot of bruises and cuts, so he would be in so much pain.” Mercedes, who had been visiting the hospital daily, informed the rest of the group.

“And Finn?” Puck asked.

“He’s not doing okay, he keeps blaming himself for what happened to Kurt.”

“But that's bullshit!” Artie exclaimed, “In that case we all would be responsible, we all were there.”

“That’s what I told him yesterday,” Mercedes said. “But he will not listen. I think we should go to visit him today, he’s at home. Carole texted me saying me he was going to be there and that he could use some cheering up. He had a phone fight with Rachel too, so he’s really depressed.”

“That’s an excellent idea, Mercedes.” Mr. Schue chirped in. “You should all show your support to both Kurt and Finn, they both need you all right now, and if you don’t mind I would like to go with you to visit Finn.”

“No, that’s perfect, Mr. Schue!” Quinn said, “He respects you a lot so I’m sure he will be thrilled to see you there. Also you could help him understand that it’s not his fault what happened to Kurt.”

“I’ll try to talk to him, Quinn, but I don’t think he's going to listen, he’s a bit stubborn.”

“Kurt is the only one he’d listen.” Puck said, matter of factly. He knew his best friend all too well.

“Then let’s pray for Kurt to wake up soon.” Quinn added.

“Yeah.” They all agreed.

o-o-o-o-o

When Blaine opened his eyes, a strange smell of burning wood and coffee filled his nostrils. He turned around and found himself in front of a large chimney. He looked around and frowned confused. The place looked a lot like the library back in his palace, but he was supposed to be in Kurt’s world.

Disoriented, he stood up and tried to look at his surroundings more closely. He was in some sort of library or study room. The decoration was very similar to the one they used in the palace — ornamented walls, rustic furniture and fancy bookshelves.

Afraid of having travel to some other part of Talia, Blaine stood in front of the fire and looked back — he had no shadow. He was a _itinerante_ in this strange world. He smiled pleased and just then, the door of the room opened and a tall boy with dark straight hair wearing a dark blue blazer, came in.

“Oh! Hi, there! I didn’t know there were still people waiting for the tour.” He said, smiling gently at Blaine.

“Hmmm, I-” Blaine trailed off. _What was he going to say to this man? Hi, I’m not here for the tour, in fact I’m from a different world and I just materialized in this place._ It certainly didn’t look like an option, so he knew it was better to lie. “Yes, I arrived late.”

“Oh, no problem. I can give you the tour still. I was just going home, but it’s fine. Will you transfer this January?”

“Yes.” Blaine lied, playing along.

“Well, then let me give you your first official tour. Some of the rooms are already closed, but you can come some other day before we get back to school and I can show you the rest.” The boy said, “I’m Wes by the way.”

“Blaine.” Blaine replied, shaking hands with the boy.

“Okay, so let’s start with this room. This is one of the five study rooms we have here at Dalton. This one is my personal favorite since it’s next to the cafeteria and therefore it always smells like coffee and cinnamon rolls.” He said, as a matter of explanation. “Now, if you follow me please, Blaine. I’ll show you the rest of the school.”

 _‘School.’_ Blaine thought. Kurt had told him about a school where his parents had offered him to transfer so he could stop being worried about his safety, but Kurt had rejected the offer. _“This pin represented my way out of hell,”_ Kurt had told him.

 _‘And now I’m here.’_ Blaine thought, playing with the small pin that he was still holding tightly.

“I see that you already have a Warbler pin...are you planning on joining the Warblers?”

Blaine frowned confused.

“The Glee club from the school.” Wes explained.

“Oh!” Blaine said, “Yes, I guess so.”

“You sing?”

“Kind of, more like just to myself, but I do play the piano.” Blaine shared.

They were now walking through a very long hall with green wallpaper and fancy benches where, Blaine supposed, the students could sit.

“That’s amazing. We have music training as optional lesson too, I’m sure you’ll love it. Now follow me, we’re about to enter the first classrooms.”

Wes showed Blaine almost the entire school; Blaine meanwhile was using the time to think of a way to ask Wes for a ride to Kurt’s house.

“And finally,” Wes said, pointing to another set of wooden double doors, “this is the main hall!” Wes exclaimed, opening the doors.

In front of them was a beautiful staircase with a glass dome framed in geometric patterns in what looked like black wood, although Blaine knew it was another type of material, more like metal. Or like gold when it stained.

“This staircase leads to the other classrooms I told you about and the dormitories.”

“Well, it’s beautiful!” Blaine replied, out of words. For a moment he could picture himself with Kurt, walking hand in hand down those stairs, wearing those dark blue blazers and just being happy.

“It is, now well...I would like to show the dormitories and the classrooms upstairs, but those are closed due to the holiday break.” Wes explained, “Hope you’d liked the school.”

“Oh, it’s beautiful thank you.” Blaine said, his time was ticking and he didn’t know how to ask Wes for a ride yet.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around on January.” Wes said, with a genuine smile on his face. “Your car is in the parking lot, right? We could walk together.”

“I, hmmm…” Blaine trailed off. “I don’t have a car. I was going to take a cab.”

“Where do you live?” Wes asked.

 _‘Bellezza.’_ Blaine first thought. “Very far from here, but I’m not going home, I’m going to my...friend’s house.”

“And, where does your friend live?”

“Lima.” Blaine said. “Near the McKinley High School at-” Blaine said, repeating the address he had previously memorized.

“Well, I live nearby so I could give you a ride.”

“Really?” Blaine asked, not quite believing his good fortune and trying with all his will not to make the gesture; he didn’t know what Wes would think of him. There was no doubt that he was already questioning Blaine’s attire, because he had been giving him funny looks since they first met.

“Yes, come on!” Wes said, motioning to the door. “My car is parked outside."

“Thank you!” Blaine said, unable to hide his smile. “You literally just saved my life.


	23. Chapter 23

This new world was very strange for Blaine, he found himself trying not to gasp with every new thing he discovered. Now he understood Kurt’s fascination for Bellezza. Being in a completely unknown world was amazing. Everything was brand new and exciting, and if Blaine weren't dead worried about Kurt, he would be certainly enjoying the ride instead of feeling like if suddenly the air around him was not enough.

Each mile this strange metal carriage took, was a mile closer to find out what had happened to Kurt. And although he was dying to know, he was not sure if he would like the answer. He had pictured hundreds of possible scenarios and the best one so far was that Kurt had grown tired of him and found a new boyfriend, deciding to never come back to Bellezza. And although that idea made Blaine sick to his stomach, he was more terrified of the other scenarios he had plotted in his head, because they all included Kurt terribly hurt in some way.

 _‘Please God, let him be fine!’_ He whispered, when he saw a street sign that said, _"Welcome to Lima, Ohio."_

“Are you okay?” Wes suddenly asked.

Blaine hadn’t noticed he had closed his eyes.

“Yes, I just felt a little light-headed.”

“You have a very polite way of speaking.” Wes noticed, “You’ll fit right in as one of us.”

Blaine just smiled. He knew he was lying and probably taking full advantage of Wes’ good will, but right now he couldn’t even get to care about that, his only concern was Kurt.

“And, is this friend of yours studying at McKinley?” Wes asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, they are our competition for Regionals so if you get into the Warblers, you’ll have to be very careful with what you share with him.”

“Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”

“Good, because this year we really want to win.”

Blaine smiled again as they kept driving through the small streets of the strange town. Blaine couldn’t help but get excited — this was going to be his new home soon. Well, only if Kurt hadn’t dumped him yet.

“We’re here.” Wes announced, stopping the car in front of a two-story house with white panels and blue blinders.

Blaine tried not to look at the house as if he were just seeing it for the first time, so turning around he thanked Wes for the ride. “Thank you, Wes, for bringing me here, you don’t have any idea of how much trouble you saved me.”

“Not a problem at all, Blaine. It was my pleasure, I don’t live far from here.”

“Well, either way, thank you.” Blaine said, awkwardly climbing out the car and clearly having some issues with the complicated system to open the door.

“Thanks for that too.” Blaine said through the window when Wes helped him to close the door. “See you later,” He added, waving goodbye and waiting for Wes to drive away.

He was looking at the car getting lost in the street when a voice called him by his name.

“Blaine? Blaine Anderson?”

He turned around very surprised, he didn’t know anyone in this world, but apparently this woman knew him.

“Excuse me, have we met?” He said, internally scolding himself because that was impossible, the only person he had met so far was Wes and he was long gone.

“No, but Kurt has told me a lot about you. Geez, honey! You do look like a European version of Montgomery Clift.” She said, checking him out.

 _‘Montgomery what?’_ Blaine thought.

“Nice to finally meet you!” She exclaimed excited. “Though I wished it had been under more happy circumstances.” She said, but Blaine just looked confused and shocked. “My name is Mercedes.” She added.

“Mercedes!” Blaine exclaimed, “Oh, thank God!” He said, clearly relieved. “You’re Kurt’s best friend, right? I’m so glad I found you, are you here to see Kurt?”

Mercedes looked taken aback for a second. “Don’t you know what happened?”

Blaine instinctively shook his head, but felt his soul leaving his body. He knew that what was coming was bad, really bad.

“He’s in the hospital.”

o-o-o-o-o

Burt had his eyes closed as he tried to take a nap for a few more minutes. Since last week when he had received _the_ call, he had been practically awake 24/7. His son, that tiny baby boy he had once held close to his heart, lay unconscious in the bed placed in front of him.

“Burt...honey.” Carole whispered. “Come with me, you have to eat something.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You have to eat, okay? Do it for him. Come on, we’ll just go real quick to the hospital’s cafeteria and have some lunch.”

Burt grumbled, but stood up, following his wife out of the room and down the hall until they reached the elevators.

“Do you think he’s ever going to wake up?”

“Yes, you heard what the doctor said. His brain is not swollen anymore so he can wake up any minute now. Just have a little faith.”

“Faith!” Burt replied, not leaving the sarcasm out of his voice.

“Yes, faith, Burt. A lot of faith and he’ll be fine.” Carole said, “I know God is not your favorite person in the world right now, but you can’t lose faith. At least have faith in your son. He’s a strong boy...he’ll get out of this. I’m sure about it.”

Burt took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I’m just afraid of losing him.”

“You won’t lose him. I can promise you that.” Carole said, while the doors of the elevator pinged open.

o-o-o-o-o

Mercedes and Blaine arrived to the Lima Local hospital. After their first encounter, Mercedes had filled Blaine in with all the details about Kurt’s attack, but Blaine had barely paid attention. The moment he had heard the words _‘they beat him to dead,’_ he had stopped breathing.

“So, where have you been these past days? You guys had a fight or something?” Mercedes asked, as a way of keep going with the conversation, but mainly because she was curious to know why it had taken Blaine almost a week to find out about Kurt’s attack.

“No, I was not here.” Blaine said.

“Oh! Of course, you were on vacation, right?” Mercedes assumed.

“Yes, something like that.” Blaine replied distracted. They were just walking down a long white hallway and he felt his whole body reacting to the strangeness of this place.

“Are you alright?” Mercedes asked, noticing the change in the boy’s posture.

“Not really.” He replied honestly.

“Don’t worry, the doctors say he’s going to be fine. The problem is that for some unknown reason he has refused to wake up. They say that the inflammation in his brain is gone, but he doesn’t seem to want to wake up. But he’s healing already, if you’ve seen him a few days ago you wouldn’t have believed it was him.”

Blaine flinched with just the thought of that.

“Okay, now let’s take the elevator, he’s on the 5th floor.” Mercedes said, pressing a button on the wall where two metal doors were closed.

The door suddenly opened with a ping, and Blaine jumped a little surprised. _‘So, this is an elevator...’_

Blaine would have liked to ask how they worked, but he didn’t have the time because next thing he knew, Mercedes was dragging him inside the metal box and pressing some other button inside.

The _‘elevator’_ started to move and Blaine grabbed from the railings; he felt a void sensation in the pit of his stomach that he didn't like in the least.

“You don’t like elevators, huh?” Mercedes said.

“Not really.” Blaine confessed, he didn’t know what they were until now and he wasn’t sure if they were his favorite thing in this strange world so far.

“Don’t worry, I don’t like them either. I’m a bit claustrophobic myself too.”

Blaine smiled at her, but kept his hands securely grabbed around the railings.

The doors opened again and Mercedes immediately walked out. Blaine blinked a bit disoriented and followed her.

“His room is over here.” Mercedes informed, turning left in the hall.

She stood in front of a door with the number _'516'_ and knocked. There was no response.

“Weird.” She murmured.

“Why?” Blaine asked, suddenly worried. He didn’t know how hospitals worked, but he had assumed Kurt was inside that room.

“Because Burt or Carole should be here, but they must have go for some lunch.” Mercedes shrugged. “Anyway, I think you can go there for a minute, I’ll go look for Burt and Carole, okay? If you want me to give you a ride home, just let me know, I’ll be waiting downstairs, okay honey?”

“Thank you Mercedes...for everything.”

“Don’t worry, honey, any boyfriend of Kurt is my friend.” She said, winking at him and walking toward the elevator again.

Once the girl disappeared from the hall, Blaine took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob. Noticing how his heart was beating faster than ever.

o-o-o-o-o

When Blaine first entered the room, he didn’t quite expect what he was going to find inside. There, in some weird bed surrounded by even more weird machines, lay his boyfriend. That man he loved with all his heart.

Kurt looked like if he was asleep, but Blaine knew he was not. Mercedes had told him that he was in a coma, which meant that he was unconscious and will not respond to voices, other sounds, or any sort of activity going on nearby. According to Mercedes that meant that Kurt was still alive, but his brain was functioning at its lowest stage of alertness.

Blaine very hesitantly, walked closer to the bed where Kurt was lying and tried not to burst into tears. “Kurt…” He whispered.

Kurt’s skin was all covered with dark purple — almost black — bruises, and he looked paler than usual. Kurt looked so still that Blaine had to look at his chest to make sure he was still breathing.

Not knowing what else to do, he took Kurt’s hand and squeezed it softly. “Kurt, my love...it’s me, Blaine. Please open your eyes.” He murmured, but Kurt didn’t move.

A single tear rolled down Blaine’s face and he had to control himself because he felt like if he were about to lose his nerve. His whole body was shaking and the air in the room wasn’t enough to fill his lungs.

“I came all the way from Bellezza, my love. We knew something was not right, but-” He trailed off, “But none of that matters anymore. Just wake up, okay? Your friend told me that the doctors say you’re going to be fine, but please wake up soon, okay?” He whispered to the unconscious version of his Kurt.  

Leaning over, Blaine placed a soft kiss on Kurt’s swollen lips. In that moment the door of the room swung open and Blaine took a step back a bit startled. A tall bald man, wearing a khaki vest, entered the room.

“Who are you?” He asked.

Just when Blaine was about to introduce himself a familiar and very weak voice whispered, “Blaine?”

Blaine immediately turned around to look at the bed, Kurt was looking at him with those blue eyes that Blaine loved so much.

“Am I dead?” Kurt asked, clearly not quite believing that he was looking at his boyfriend from another world.

“Kiddo! You’re awake!” Burt exclaimed, rushing to the bed to grab his son’s hand.

Kurt turned to look at his dad. “Dad?”

“Yeah, it’s me Kurt, your dad.” Burt said, with tears in his eyes. “I’ll go get the doctor, okay?” He said to his son, and then looking at Blaine he added, “And you? Don’t go anywhere, I need to know who you are.” He said, pointing a menacing finger towards him.

Kurt followed his dad’s finger and looked at Blaine again. He was really there, he hadn’t imagined it all.

“You’re still here.” Kurt murmured, when his dad ran out the room to get the doctor.

Blaine just nodded; he had a knot in his throat that didn’t allow him to talk. He just kept looking at Kurt and trying to assimilate that he was now awake.

“I thought I was dreaming or hallucinating.”

Blaine finally found his voice. “I’m really here, my love, and oh, God! I’m so glad you’re awake! Your friend told me that-” He was saying when the door of the room opened again and a flood of what Blaine assumed were doctors entered, and pushed Blaine back to take a look at Kurt.

o-o-o-o-o

During the whole time the doctors checked Kurt's signs and charts, Burt never stopped looking at Blaine with scrutinizing eyes. He was certainly questioning himself as to why this boy looked so worried and had tears in his eyes. He clearly was worried about his son, and his son every now and then looked at him, but Burt still didn’t know who this Blaine boy was.

The doctors left, giving Kurt some last instructions and turning off some of the machines. Burt immediately got closer to the bed. “How are you feeling, kiddo?”

“I’m better, a bit thirsty.” Kurt said.

Burt immediately grabbed the glass of water by the nightstand and gave Kurt some sips.

“Thank you.” Kurt said. “Where are Carole and Finn?”

“Carole is downstairs with Mercedes, she told us that a very special friend of yours had come to visit you,” Burt said, side-glancing Blaine. “But I’ll go get her and tell Mercedes to inform all your friends that you’re awake, they all were very worried.”

“Thanks, dad.” Kurt said, and Burt left leaving Blaine and Kurt alone again.

Once the door closed, Kurt asked, “What are you doing here? Not that I’m not thrilled to see you or anything, but this is so confusing for me.”

“I was worried, you said you’d be back three days ago and when you didn’t-”

“Wait!” Kurt interrupted. “Three days ago, so I was unconscious for how long exactly?”

“Eight days…”

Kurt’s eyes widened. Those were certainly shocking news.

“When you didn’t come back I asked Ray about you, but he said you’d probably had some things to do with your family. But I was worried, and yesterday or today I don’t even know anymore, this time/space thing confuses me; I was with Ray in the monthly card reading session and when he threw the cards he dealt the exact same reading he had been having for the past months, and when he tried to read them he just said you were in danger. I asked him why and he said that because according to his cards, you were supposed to be in Bellezza.” Blaine explained, “In that moment we knew something was up so I came to see you.”

“Does Ray know about it?”

Blaine nodded. “He helped me...I’m sorry, my love, but I had to confess our plan to him. It was the only option we had at the moment. He wanted to come here, but his talisman takes him to your version of Anglia and mine doesn’t so…”

Kurt smiled. “I can’t believe you’re really here.” He said, trying to move closer and kiss him, but something inside his chest hurt and he moved back. “Ouch.”

“Careful, my love, are you okay?”

Kurt nodded. “I’m better now that you’re here, help me sit?” He said.

Blaine looked lost for a minute, but Kurt motioned to the remote placed next to the bed. “Just press the top button.”

Blaine did what he had been told to and watched in awe how the bed twisted to help Kurt be in a sitting position.

Kurt smiled warmly at his boyfriend. “I know, right? It looks like magic, but I promise you it isn’t. However what Ray does, well...that could actually be consider magic.”

Blaine laughed a little and sat on the stool next to the bed, holding Kurt’s hand.

“Now fill me in, I want to know everything! How did you get here? Where did the talisman take you? Was it difficult to come here? How did you know I was in here? Who helped you get in here?” Kurt asked, desperate for answers.

“Are you sure you’re not tired? I can fill you about everything later.”

“No, I’m fine...I’ve been sleeping for the past week, I’m not sleepy. I want to know, I like hearing your voice.”

Blaine smiled warmly and started to explain all the adventures he had had in this world so far, from the beginning when we appeared at Dalton, to meeting Mercedes at his house. Blaine was just getting into a more detailed explanation when the door of the room opened again. This time a short woman in her early fifties — Blaine guessed — strolled in followed by Kurt’s father.

o-o-o-o-o

Carole stopped by the door and looked at the two boys; the boy on the stool, who she assumed was the _'very special friend'_ Mercedes had told them about, had a polite smile on his face, and Kurt...well, he seemed to have his eyes glued to the young boy. Carole couldn’t deny that the _'special friend'_ was handsome, but Kurt was looking at him with such admiration that she didn’t need to ask why this _‘special friend’_ was so special in the first place, but she asked either way.

“Well, hello there. Who’s this lovely young man?”

Blaine stood up and extended his hand towards Carole. She took it and blinked a bit confused when the young man kissed her hand in the most polite gesture. Something you would never expect from a teenager. “My name is Blaine Devon Anderson, a pleasure to meet you ma’am.”

“Nice to meet you too, Blaine.” Carole replied, blushing a little and walking to Kurt who had finally paid attention to her. “You scared us to death!” She scolded her stepson.

“I’m sorry?”

“You better be!” She said, smiling warmly at him and giving him a kiss in the forehead. “How are you feeling?”

“Better.”

“That’s good, Mercedes called your friends already, but I’m going to call Finn so he can come over. He was so worried too, he’s been staying here, but we sent him home to rest.” Carole informed. “I’m sure he’ll be here as soon as he knows you’re awake. I’ll call him real quick.” She said, walking out of the room.

When Carole walked out Kurt turned around and smiled at Blaine, who hadn’t moved from the stool in which he was seated.

“So, you were telling me Mercedes brought you here?” Kurt asked, completely ignoring his dad, who was seated at one of the couches, pretending not to listen to them.

“Yes, I went to your house when I got here and she was there, so she told me all about what happened and brought me here. I was so scared!” Blaine sighed, recalling the day he had been having so far. “Poor girl, I must have caused a very bad first impression.”

“Why?” Kurt asked.

“I may have teared up a little when she was telling me everything.” Blaine confessed, lowering his gaze a bit ashamed.

Kurt smiled warmly at his lovely boyfriend, and forgetting his dad was in the room, he leaned over and kissed him quickly on the lips.

“Whoa!” Burt jumped from his seat. “Wait a minute, buddy! Who’s this guy? And why are you kissing him?”

Blaine was about to apologize and explain everything, but Kurt squeezed his hand and started to explain everything himself.

“He’s Blaine and well, he’s my boyfriend.” Kurt said all proudly.

For a moment Burt seemed to travel to a different dimension himself, he looked lost and he was clearly not understanding anything, but he just had to look at his son and see the way he gravitated towards the Blaine boy to know it was all true. Besides, he couldn’t put aside the fact that Kurt had woken up when this man was in the room, like if suddenly he could wake up just because this boy was there.

“And you didn’t share that with us earlier, because?” Burt questioned, looking at his son.

“Because I wanted you to meet him in person and he-” Kurt trailed off, he knew he couldn’t say that his boyfriend was from a different world. “He was not here.”

“Where are you from, kid?” Burt questioned. He was in full protective — and jealous — dad mode.

“I’m-” Blaine trailed off not knowing what to answer, but Kurt saved him.

“Come on, dad! Stop questioning him, okay? He’s here to see me and be with me, not to pass some police interrogation. Now, could you give me some minutes alone with him? I have to talk to him about some things that I’m sure you won’t want to hear.”

Burt blushed and opened his mouth several times, but nothing seemed to come out from it. “Okay, I’ll go buy some coffee, you have 10 minutes.” He said, looking at both of them in the eye and walking toward the door.

“And don’t try any funny business, Blaine...he’s hurt.” Burt warned him.

Blaine blushed.

“Dad, stop embarrassing me in front of my boyfriend!”

“I mean it, Kurt...you’re hurt.”

“Dad…”

“Fine, fine...bye!” He just said, closing the door behind him.

Once they were alone in the room again, Kurt took a deep breath and pulled Blaine closer, motioning him to sit next to him in the bed. Blaine sat down and Kurt rested his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“He likes you…” Kurt suddenly said. “He’s just jealous.”

Blaine didn’t have to ask of whom they were talking about, he already knew it was about Burt, Kurt’s dad.

“He seems nice, I guess that when I’m here for good, I’ll have the chance to know him better.” Blaine said, and since he couldn’t see Kurt’s eyes, he missed the flash of uncertainty that crossed through his boyfriend’s eyes when he said those words. “And well, for now I’ll have to come back and forth at night.” Blaine continued. “Because in order to come here in the first place, I promised Ray I would return to Bellezza to give him a full report. He’s worried too.”

“What did he say about our plan?”

“He scolded me of course, and he didn’t look pleased by it. But just when I was about to come here, he told me that if this is what we wanted he would support us.”

“Really?” Kurt asked, moving his head from Blaine’s shoulder to be able to look at him.

“Yes,” Blaine said, “He said that whatever we decided we would have his support.”

Kurt leaned over and kissed him again. “That’s good to know, but for now, I’m just so happy that you’re here with me.”

Blaine smiled at him and exhaled relieved for the first time in more than a week, “Me too...I felt like dying when your friend told me you were here.” He trailed off, not wanting to recall that feeling again now that Kurt seemed to be getting better. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I don’t know what would be of me without you.”

“I love you.” Kurt breathed out.

“And I love you more.” Blaine replied, making Kurt laugh.

“I don’t think so.” He murmured under his breath, “Maybe a draw.”

“Then a draw it is.” Blaine agreed, kissing him again, and feeling how his soul finally returned to his body.


	24. Chapter 24

Raymond had been sitting in that same chair for hours just expecting for the worst to happen. He was anxious to say the least, if anyone, including the servants, entered to Blaine’s chambers in that moment they would find it empty, but worse, if anyone entered to his private chambers, they would find an almost dead version of Blaine.

Time seemed to pass very slowly and although he tried to distract himself using some of his multiple meditation techniques, he couldn’t ease his nerves. Without realizing, a new day was starting in Bellezza and Blaine hadn't returned yet. To that point, Ray was praying not only to the Lady of the Lagoon but to every god, saint and incorporeal being he knew for Blaine to return soon.

“Ray?” Blaine murmured, coming back to his body and startling the old _itinerante_.

“Oh, thank God you’re back!” Ray exclaimed relieved.

“What time is it?”

“Just past dawn, but tell me, did you find Kurt?”

“Yes, and you were right, he was in danger. He was attacked and unconscious until I arrived.” Blaine explained.

“But, is he okay now?”

“Well, not quite. He’s all bruised and has some broken bones, but according to the _dottori_ from there he’s going to be fine. And I guess it’s true because they have all sorts of magic to keep him alive, so he’ll be fine.” Blaine said, “And well, I stayed with him until they allowed me to and then I was just going to hide somewhere in that place they call hospital and travel from there, but then Kurt told his father that I was from some place name Venice in Italy?” He trailed off.

“It’s their version of this place Blaine, but go on.”

“Well, then they offered me to stay at Kurt’s house using one of the guest rooms and I traveled from there.”

“Well, I need you to share everything with me, but right now we need to sneak you back into your room, we don’t want someone finding out that you’re not there.”

Blaine shook his head and stood from the bed.

“That won’t be necessary.” Blaine said, determined.

“Why not?” Ray asked confused.

“Because I will go talk to my father right now.”

“About what?” Ray asked carefully.

“I’m not going to marry Sebastian.” Blaine stated.

“Well, I thought you had already made that decision. You decided to go to that world, didn’t you?” Ray questioned confused.

“Yes, and that’s still what I’m going to do. But I was doing it the wrong way, Ray. I was going to run away, and now I’m not. I’m going to face my father and tell him the truth. To this point I don’t care about the consequences, I almost lost Kurt and that won’t happen again.” Blaine said, storming out of the room and not giving Ray even time to process everything he told him.

“Oh, for the lady!” Ray cursed and followed Blaine. If the boy was going to reveal everything, he better be with him.

o-o-o-o-o

“Hi there, honey!” Mercedes exclaimed, entering Kurt’s hospital room. “I know it’s late, but your dad allowed me to be here while they took Blaine home. God! That boy didn’t leave your side for a minute, you should have seen the scene downstairs, they had to practically dragged him out of here.”

Kurt smiled at his friend and motioned her to sit next to him. “I know, I just hope my dad doesn't question him all the way back to my house.”

“Is he going to stay there? I thought they were taking him to his house. Where does he live anyway?”

“Very far from here, and yes, he’s going to _stay there.”_ Kurt said.

 _“‘Stay’?_ Mercedes questioned.

“I have something to confess.”

“You’re not a virgin anymore.” Mercedes tried to guess, “And I don’t blame you, with that boy even I would be tempted.”

“Oh my God, Mercedes!” Kurt exclaimed a bit scandalized. “Could you please shut up! I haven’t had sex with Blaine, okay? And what I have to confess is even harder to believe than that.” He added, noticing the _I-don’t-believe-you-for-a-second_ look his friend was giving him.

“Okay, I’m listening...shoot!”

“Did you notice something strange in Blaine when you first met him?”

“Hmmm...other than the fact that he looked completely oblivious to what had happened to you? No, I didn’t...why?”

“Didn’t he look startled when you two first arrived here? Or when he climbed into your car?” Kurt questioned his friend. It was better to try with that first, so the news weren’t that shocking.

“Well, now that you mention it…” Mercedes thought about it. “He looked nervous, but give the guy some credit he was pretty shocked with everything I told him.”

“Didn’t he ask something weird? Something that was kind of obvious? Something that he was supposed to know?” Kurt kept trying to dig in. He was sure that there must be something Blaine said or asked that could help him to explain this more clearly.

Mercedes thought for a minute, “Well, he didn’t know what a coma was, but I think that it was just the shock of the moment, he was so confused...poor boy.”

“No, he was not. If he asked you what a coma was, he meant it. He didn’t know what that was.” Kurt explained.

Mercedes frowned confused; she was not following her friend.

“Blaine is not from this world.” Kurt let out the words from his mouth. It was better to say them all at once; there was no easy way to say them anyway.

“What are you talking about?” Mercedes asked, trying not to laugh at her friend. “Maybe you’re still confused with all the drugs you’re under and-”

“No, I’m not. I’m telling you the truth. Remember at the party that we talked about him and that I told you that I had met him at some place I’d tell you about later? And that sometimes I believed that I had met him in a dream? Well, I was not kidding. I met Blaine in some sort of parallel universe though it’s easier to think of it as a dream.”

Mercedes tried to think for a minute. It was too much for her brain to process. “Sounds a bit hard to believe...”

“I know it sounds crazy to say the least. At first I didn’t quite believe it myself, I thought I was just dreaming, but it’s true. He’s real. You met him and I can prove it to you.”

“How?” Mercedes asked, she didn’t know why, but she was actually starting to believe the crazy story. The more she thought about Blaine the more believable the whole thing seemed to be. The boy was weird.

“Tomorrow, when he comes back I want you to look at his shadow...the _itineranti_ or travelers among worlds don’t have a shadow when they are in a world that is not theirs.”

“So, you’re telling me that you don’t have a shadow in whatever parallel universe he exists?” Mercedes asked.

“Exactly...do you believe me?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know...I mean, yes I do want to believe you, but it’s hard to picture the whole thing without any proof whatsoever, you know? Why don’t you ask me the same question tomorrow when I have seen this lack of shadow in your boyfriend.”

“Okay...but there’s more.”

“What? Is he some sort of magician too? In this parallel world you can also fly, or what?”

Kurt laughed, but his broken ribs hurt him. “Ouch. Don’t make me laugh, okay? It hurts.” He told her, “and no, he’s not a magician. He’s just a Prince.”

“A Prince? Like a Disney movie kind of Prince?”

“Yes, only not quite into princesses?” Kurt shrugged, trying to look indifferent, like if his boyfriend being a Prince wasn’t a big deal.

“Okay...you know what? Stop right there!” Mercedes said, “I need the whole story. So start from the beginning, okay? You have less than an hour before your dad comes back and I need to know everything! How did you manage to travel or whatever to that place? How does that happen? When the hell did you get so lucky to find a real Prince? And most importantly...How frequently do you go there? Because you haven’t missed a single day of school or rehearsal. On, no wait...you were skipping classes, is that when you were traveling?”

Kurt shook his head.

"Then speak, Kurt! I want to know everything!"

Kurt took a deep breath and prepared himself to summarize in less than an hour how his life had changed since Dave had attacked him.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine was so determined when he walked out of Ray’s chambers that he was barely aware of himself opening the door of the library, where he knew his father used to be before breakfast.

“I’m not going to marry Sebastian!” He yelled, as he made his way inside the room.

Richard Anderson turned around from the bookshelf where he was standing and looked at his son in awe. And it’s only then that Blaine noticed, that his father wasn’t alone in the room. His mother was there as well, looking at him with a confused expression, and apparently Cooper too, since the latter poked his head from behind one of the chairs that had its back to Blaine.

“Oh.” Blaine murmured under his breath. He wasn’t expecting the whole family there.

In that moment Ray entered too and stood by the door, as surprised as Blaine was with everyone in there.

“What did you say?” Richard asked, with a very serious tone in his voice.

Blaine felt his blood draining out of his body, but he kept a straight face and repeated his words. “I said that I’m not marrying Sebastian Smythe, father.”

“I’m afraid, Blaine, that that’s something you can’t just come here and say without even explaining yourself. I thought we had agreed that it was the-” Richard started his lecture, but Blaine didn’t let him finish.

“I’m sorry, father, you know that I respect you greatly and because of that it is that I agreed to this insane plan to get Fortezza in the first place.” Blaine said, “And maybe if things were different I wouldn’t mind with whom you want me to get married, because quite frankly I wasn’t expecting to find someone who I would love dearly, but now that I know what real love really is I’m not willing to risk it. Call me crazy and even selfish, but I’m not willing to let go of my own happiness just because you’re afraid to lose the crown, or because it’s for the greater good of the Kingdom. I love this city, I love my people, I love you all, but I love him more! And after almost losing him I realized that I can’t have a life in which he’s not in it, so I won’t leave him.” Blaine said firmly. He knew he had just made his statement, so he kept his eyes fixed to his father, but he could still feel Cooper’s big grin and encouraging nodding.

“Who is he?” Pamela asked, clearly being the only one in the room who didn’t know a thing.

“A boy I met a few months ago, mother. His name is Kurt, he’s Ray’s apprentice and we love each other deeply. Cooper knew about him almost since the beginning because he can’t keep his nose out of other's people businesses, and father...well, do you remember the attack he suffered during the Ball?”

Pamela barely nodded; she hated to recall that incident since they hadn’t properly informed her until the next day.

“Well, Kurt was the boy who saved his life. It was not a servant, it was actually Kurt.”

Pamela sat down to process all the information, and Richard took that moment to speak again. “Are you sure of what you’re saying, Blaine? Because-”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Blaine replied, interrupting him again. “So either you find a way to get Fortezza without me having to marry that man or start resigning yourself to lose the crown because I’m not marrying him. End of the story. I won’t let this ridiculous war between families to take away my happiness.”

“For God’s sake, Blaine!” Richard exclaimed, clearly losing his temper. “Listen to yourself! You come in here saying you want to be with that boy when you better than anyone know that even the idea of a life with him is completely impossible! A serious relationship between that young man and you is impossible, Blaine!”

“Why?” Blaine asked back, raising his voice a little too, but just to state that he was not letting this go down without a fight. “Because he’s from a different world? Guess what, father? I don’t care!”

Cooper and Pamela who were watching the whole fight from their respective chairs, looked at each other confused; they had lost track of the conversation when Blaine had mentioned Kurt being from a different world.

Richard noticed the confusion in both his wife and son, and looking at Ray who had remained completely silent, said. “Could you please close the door?”

Ray just nodded and closed the door.

“Do you remember what I told you about Raymond’s brotherhood?” The King asked to the Queen. Pamela just nodded, and Richard continued. “Well, it was all true. I know you had your doubts, but I wasn’t joking. There are real travelers and Kurt is one of them.”

Pamela’s jaw dropped and quickly looked at Ray for some confirmation.

“It’s true, Your Majesty.” Ray said.

“Oh my God.” Pamela whispered softly, holding herself from the armchair like if she were suddenly dizzy, and making the good fortune gesture.

Cooper looking at the four people standing in the room realized that he was the only one who didn’t know what they were talking about. “Did any of you care to explain of what are you talking about?”

o-o-o-o-o

Burt entered the room and found Mercedes and Kurt in full conversation, when the two young kids noticed him, they abruptly changed the subject, but Burt didn’t mind, since he knew there were things that a father simply couldn’t know about his kids.

“Thank you for staying with Kurt, Mercedes.” He said, “Would you like me to call a cab for you?”

“No thanks, Burt, my car is downstairs,” She explained, “I’ll come back tomorrow, okay Kurt? There’s a lot to talk about...I’m glad you’re among the living again! We missed you!” She said, kissing Kurt’s forehead and walking away.

Once they were left alone, Burt helped Kurt to adjust the bed to a sleeping position again. “You did not question Blaine all the way back home, did you?” Kurt asked, when his dad was still helping him with the bed.

“I did not.” Burt said, “But Finn did.”

“What!?” Kurt practically yelled. “Why?”

“Because he’s your brother and wants to protect you?”

“What did he ask? Please tell me he did not embarrass me in front of him.”

“Nothing to worry about, he just asked him the standard questions.”

“Which are?” Kurt asked, fully aware that even the simplest questions were difficult for Blaine, since no matter what they asked, he would have to lie.

“Oh, you know? Like...How did you meet my brother?, How long have you two been dating?...I don’t know, stuff like that.” Burt said, “He was very polite and answered everything, he even shared with us that he has a brother too.”

“Yeah...Cooper.” Kurt said, smiling even though he was freaking out on the inside, but he knew that if his dad was saying that Blaine answered everything then Blaine must have improvised something. Kurt did a mental note to ask him about Finn’s interrogation tomorrow first thing in the morning.

“He’s nice.” Burt said, taking a seat in the couch and placing a blanket on his legs.

“Yes, he is.” Kurt whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him earlier...things were complicated.”

“Because he lives far away?”

“Yes, something like that.” Kurt murmured.

“He’s the reason behind your sudden interest in that country, isn’t he?”

“Partially…”

For a couple of minutes, neither of them said another word. The room was in complete silence until Burt spoke up. “Hmmm, Kurt?”

“Yes?”

“I didn’t want to ask you this with the rest of the people here, but hmmm…” he trailed off, “Do you remember what happened to you? Better said, do you remember who did this to you?”

Kurt swallowed slowly. Of course he remembered everything — the fear and pain he felt that day had been replaying in his mind all day, and even though he didn’t remember the rest of the days he had been unconscious, he was sure he was dreaming about that too.

“We just know it was a group of eight to ten guys, one of Finn’s football mates ran into the party and informed him about what had happened.”

“Who?” Kurt questioned.

“The guy with whom you had problems before, Dave. I guess he learned his lesson.”

“I don’t think so...he was among the group.” Kurt confessed.

“What?” Burt asked, clearly annoyed.

“It was half the football team dad, I was just going home and they were at my car and I asked them if they could move and they just started to make fun of me, and then one pushed me and I pushed him back and next thing I knew I had all of them above me.”

“And this Dave guy, did he hit you?”

“I don’t know, I suppose…” Kurt said, but there was a faint memory of him thinking he had heard Dave’s voice asking his friends to stop. “Though I think that maybe he was trying to help...I don’t know...could we please don’t talk about this today?”

“Yeah, of course, kiddo. I’m sorry...now try to sleep, okay?”

“Will Carole and Finn be here tomorrow?”

“Yes, Kurt, along with that boyfriend of yours.” Burt said, rolling his eyes.

“You don’t like him, do you?”

“I’m not the one who’s supposed to like him, Kurt.”

“I know, but I don’t mean it that way...I mean-”

“I know son, and I’ll like him as long as he makes you happy.”

“Well, he makes me very, very happy.” Kurt said, with a smile.

“I know…” Burt whispered. He just had to think about the way the two boys gravitated toward each other to know that they both loved each other deeply. “And so far he’s a keeper for me.”

Kurt smiled and decided it was better not to say anything else. It was all he needed to know. _‘I’ll keep him forever, dad...don’t worry.’_

o-o-o-o-o

Cooper and Pamela were both in shock after hearing the whole explanation about the _itineranti_. Cooper seemed to be biting his tongue, Blaine could tell that his older brother was dying to ask more questions and to learn every single detail available, but for the sake of everyone in the room, Ray seemed to be more focused on answering just Pamela’s questions.

Once the truth was out, there was no point on keep denying that he was also part of this selected group, so without thinking about the consequences Blaine confessed his new status. “And since yesterday I’m a _itinerante_ too, I traveled to Kurt’s world.”

“You did what!?” Richard exclaimed.

“I traveled to Kurt’s world. He was in danger, father, he said he would be here by Wednesday and since it had been two days in a row without hearing from him, Ray read his cards and saw that something was not right and-”

“And, did you let him do that?” Richard asked, ignoring Blaine and now looking at Ray with some menacing eyes.

“I-” Ray tried to say, but Blaine interfered. He knew he had to assume his responsibilities in all this mess.

“It was not his fault, father. I didn’t leave him any other option. I was going to do it, with or without his help so he did the right thing and supervised the whole thing. In fact, he was going to check on Kurt himself, but his talisman takes him to England, Kurt’s world version of our Anglia and he lives in America, Amerighi for us.” He added, as a matter of explanation. Even though they had just filled in Pamela and Cooper about the _itineranti_ there were things that still were extremely confusing for them.

“Okay, and why did you have a talisman from Kurt’s world in the first place? Who gave it to you? Ray, did you do that?” Richard asked.

“No, Your Majesty, Blaine got the talisman with his own resources.”

“Explain yourself, young man!” Richard demanded.

Blaine took a deep breath and revealed everything, including the part in which he had decided to travel for good to Kurt’s world at some point. After finishing his explanation, the three faces he had in front of him were quite surprised. Pamela and Cooper looked like ice sculptures, they could hardly believe that the one who was saying all those things were actually Blaine, but Richard knew better.

“Were you actually planning on never coming back?” The King asked.

“No I was not, I am still planning on doing so, father. Now more than ever.” Blaine said, sure of himself.

With that Richard lost the last drop of patience that he still had and started to yell at his son about duties and commitments with his family and the people of their Kingdom, and even with their goddess and the lagoon. But Cooper, who apparently had recovered from the initial shock, interrupted him.

“If I may?” He said, standing up and walking toward Blaine. “I understand that you’re mad, father, but don’t be so hard on him. My brother is just acting according to what he’s feeling and if you let me have a word in this, I think he’s being extremely brave. It’s not easy to confront you and even less to make a decision like the one he just made.”

“But he’s just being irrational.” Richard said, but the truth was that he was just looking for a way to pick up a fight. Suddenly the fear of losing one of his sons was taking over him, the whole fiasco about the arranged marriage was now long forgotten. The only thing that was crossing through the King’s mind in that precise moment was that he didn’t want to lose his son.

“Is he really being that irrational, father?” Cooper questioned, placing a protective arm around his brother’s shoulder. Clearly stating in which side he was. “I think we all are very shocked with the amount of news we received in the past half an hour, and even though I didn’t know that Kurt was literally from another world, I was aware of the depth and commitment of the relationship between my brother and that sweet boy. I’ve been with them enough times, and I’m a visual witness that they simply are meant to be.”

“But-”

“I haven’t finished, father.” Cooper continued, “And since I’m a full-time advocate of happy endings, I want my little brother to have his own. That wedding is just making him miserable to say the least, so I did something...although I didn’t know he already had a back up plan. You could have saved yourself of all this mess if you had come to talk to me, Lamb.” He said, softly hitting Blaine of the head.

“Anyway,” Cooper continued, “when my brother told me that the wedding was definitely going to happen regardless of his misery and disdain for it, I did my own research.”

“What are you talking about?” Richard asked. He was getting impatient. Cooper had always a way of making a simple explanation way too long for everybody’s sake.

“I read some very old and official records that I found in this room.” He said, pointing to the shelves at the far end, where they usually kept the population census and books of records about all the cities of Talia. “And I found that Ludovico Ripole, before being Ripole was just Ludovico Adessi. He changed his name when he married Fiero Ripole.”

Blaine didn’t know that, so he voiced his thoughts. “I didn’t know that.” He murmured.

“I didn’t either, but I guess that explains the lack of heir. I don’t know why they didn’t adopt, but that doesn’t matter...I found in one of the books that Ludovico Adessi…” Cooper said, making a dramatic pause. “...has a goddaughter.”

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt tried to sleep, but as soon as his eyes were closed, a terrible nightmare took over him. He was running through one of the halls at the Anderson’s palace. He didn’t know where he was supposed to be, but he knew he had to see Blaine. He ran until he reached a wooden door that despite not being exactly like the one in Blaine’s real chambers, Kurt knew it was the one that lead to his room.

He opened the door and walked in, finding Blaine lying on his bed with his eyes closed, like if he were sleeping. Kurt walked closer to him and looked at the figure of his boyfriend. Blaine looked older, he had grown a beard and instinctively, Kurt lift one hand and touched his own face. He had a short beard too. Confused, he tried to wake Blaine, but the man remained still. He was cold as death and suddenly Kurt felt the need to keep him warm.

“Don’t worry, B, I’m here...I’ll keep you warm until you come back. Please don’t leave me here all by myself...I need you.” He kept repeating out loud, while he rocked this older version of his boyfriend’s apparently lifeless body.

Kurt closed his eyes in this dream. He knew he couldn’t be with Blaine. They were trapped in different worlds. There was no future for them together.

Suddenly an urge to escape woke him up. He didn’t want to even dream of a world where he couldn’t be with Blaine.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” A nurse with a very sweet voice asked him. “It seemed that you were having a nightmare.”

“I was…” Kurt replied disoriented. “What time is it?”

“Barely 1am sweetie, go back to sleep, I’ll give you some soothing meds so you can rest peacefully.”

“Thanks.” Kurt replied, and watched while the nurse checked his charts and proceed to inject the soothing meds to his IV. While she was doing that, Kurt couldn’t help but recall the nightmare he had had, the message had been clear. If he wanted a future with Blaine, sacrifices would have to be made.


	25. Chapter 25

With that new piece of information that Cooper had revealed, things seemed to look brighter for Blaine, but he was still not calling it a victory because his father and Raymond kept looking at each other with very confused and clueless looks.

“Are you sure about that?” Pamela asked, she was the only one who seemed to know to where her son was going with that conversation.

“Yes, mother, I already met her.” Cooper confessed.

Ray and Richard turned around at the same time to look at Cooper.

“Why?” Blaine asked.

Cooper smiled and with the arm that was still over Blaine’s shoulder gave him a sweet pat on the back. “Because I’m going to marry her.”

“What?” Four voices asked in unison.

“Calm down, okay?” Cooper said, motioning everybody to not lose their heads just yet. “A couple of weeks ago, when I made my mission to find a way to help my little brother, I also thought about how unfortunate the situation was. My brother didn’t choose to like boys the way I like girls and however, destiny seems to want to punish him by putting on his way the only Smythe boy available at the moment who also happens to like boys. I thought about turning the tables a little and imagined myself in his situation. And do you know what I realized?”

Pamela and Blaine shook their heads at the same time, but Ray and Richard didn’t say or do anything.

“That if I were in his place, I would have done it in the blink of an eye. I would have married that Smythe boy right away...and do you know why?” Cooper asked again, and once more only Pamela and Blaine shook their heads. “Because I really don’t care with whom I end up getting married. So after meeting Ludovico’s goddaughter and making sure she was available, I decided that I’d marry her. That for sure is going to gain us Ludovico’s favors, don’t you all agree?” He asked, “With that we’ll have Fortezza practically in our bags.”

“But, you can’t do that!” Blaine protested.

“Why not? That way you wouldn’t have to marry Sebastian and-”

“I know that, but you don’t love her, Cooper. It’s not fair.” Blaine trailed off, he was suddenly feeling very emotional.

“Look, Lamb.” Cooper said, sounding all paternally. “Arianna was and always will be the love of my life. I know I’ll never be able to find another one like her, so it really doesn’t matter with whom I get married. And if marrying her will help us get Fortezza without any of us having to get involved with that devilish family, then so be it! I can do it! For you, for our family, for our Kingdom.” Cooper said, and Blaine had to fight back the tears. “You deserve to be happy, Blaine. And if you’re happy I will be happy too. I love you, Lamb, and I just want the best for you, and I know that right now you can only find that with Kurt, so…”

Blaine instead of replying laced his arms around his brother and hugged him tightly; sobbing a little and probably staining the caramel jerkin his brother was wearing.

“Are you sure you want to marry again so soon, son? It’s been only a year since Arianna.” Pamela asked, naturally worried for the well being of her son.

“I know, mother, and like I just said...I know I’ll never find someone like her. You better than anyone knows that she was my everything and we both know that I have to get married anyway in order to get the crown or rule a city, so it was just a matter of time and she’s nice. I had lunch with her last week. I didn’t tell her who I was, though I suspect she knows, and I just pretended to bump into her. She’s sweet and very attractive…” Cooper said, “Besides, it’s about time that you have some grandchildren, don’t you think?”

o-o-o-o-o

Rinaldo Smythe couldn’t be fooled, he knew something was up the moment his servant informed him about the lack of activity back in the Anderson’s palace.

“Are you sure he’s not been hiding somewhere in the palace?”

“I’m sure, my Lord. Our informant confirmed me that it have been more than a week since the last sighting.” Enrico said.

“He can’t be gone.”

“He’s not, my Lord. One of our informants asked some of the servants who knew about him and apparently he’s at Padavia.”

“Have you sent someone to check if he’s there?”

“They are on their way, my Lord.”

“Good, I want them to follow him everywhere he goes. I don’t know why, but I think that the boy is not who Armati says he is.”

“Don’t worry, my Lord, we’ll find out who he is.” Enrico said, walking away and closing the door behind him.

“You better...you better.” Rinaldo murmured under his breath as he drank his wine in one gulp.

o-o-o-o-o

After the initial shock of Cooper’s plans, Ray finally decided to fully join the conversation and ask Cooper as many questions as he could about this apparently goddaughter of Ludovico Ripole. Blaine, on the other hand, couldn’t believe his luck. Now thanks to his brother he wouldn’t have to marry Sebastian.

Not that his plans were about to change drastically, he was still determined to go to Kurt’s world and be with him forever, but now at least he could go in a state of internal peace with himself since his family would be okay, and that was as if they were suddenly removing one big rock from his shoulders.

“So...are you really doing this?” Richard asked, just to make sure things were settled.

“How many times do I have to repeat myself, father? Yes, I am sure. Now, can we please move on? I want to interrogate my little brother...he has a lot to tell us about this other world and I want to know everything so if you don’t mind.” Cooper said, motioning for his brother to follow him out of the library.

“Actually, Cooper, I would like to have a few words with your brother first.” Richard said.

“You’re not going to keep insisting on that stupid wedding, are you?”

“No.” Richard finally said, and the whole room breathed again. They hadn’t realized that they were all waiting to hear those words coming from the King’s mouth.

“Okay, then.” Cooper said, grabbing his mother’s arm. “Mother and I will go and have a proper breakfast since all this unnecessary drama stopped us from having it earlier. Lamb, when you’re done with father and you've eaten something, meet me at my chambers, you have a lot to share with me.”

Blaine nodded and gave his brother a warm smile. Right now he was his favorite person in the world — obviously always after Kurt.

Pamela leaned over and kissed her son’s forehead, whispering, “I’m so proud of you.” As she left the room with Cooper walking in front of her.

Ray excused himself to the King and walked to the door. “Blaine?” He said. “I’ll see you at night so you can fill me in with Kurt’s health and everything that you experienced there.”

“Yes, I’ll meet you at my chambers.” Blaine said, giving him a sweet smile. He knew Ray had been very supportive through this. He owed the man a lot.

Ray nodded, walking out the room and leaving Blaine alone with his father. Blaine felt awkward; he was still not sure about his father's reaction. He knew that his old man had gone through all kind of emotions in the past hour, so he really didn’t know how the man was feeling.

“What happened to Kurt?” The King asked, catching Blaine a bit off guard.

“Huh-hmmm,” Blaine stuttered. “Some guys attacked him, but he’s better now. He was in a coma which is this state in which you’re like sleeping but not really, he looked like a corpse.”

 _“La morte di sonno.”_ Richard whispered, making the good fortune gesture.

“Yes, but here we can’t know if they are actually sleeping or not, there they have these machines that help him breath and show if his heart is still beating. I was so scared.” Blaine confessed, recalling all he had been through.

“But he’s fine now?”

“Well, yes...he’s all bruised and hurt, the _dottori_ there said he has a lot of broken bones and that it will take him some time to recover, but that he will be fine. But it was a close call, father, one of his friends told me they beat him to death.”

“Why would anyone do that?”

“Because there’s this group of boys who hate him because he likes boys instead of girls.” Blaine sobbed, trying not to cry in front of his father. “And they almost killed him because of that.” He said, but a couple of tears actually rolled down his face, and his father surprised him by giving him a hug.

“Come on, son, men can cry too. Let it go, come on...you’re shaking.” Richard said, hugging Blaine tightly.

Blaine was, indeed, shaking badly. He had had 24 hours of pure horror and now that he was finally secure in his father’s arms he felt like a small kid again, crying because ha had fell and bruised his knee.

“I was so afraid of losing him.” Blaine said between sobs. “I thought he was never going to wake up and then I kissed him and he opened his eyes, father.”

“He woke up when you kissed him?”

“Well, not in the exact moment, but a few seconds later. His father had just walked in and he was asking who I was when Kurt said my name, father. The first thing he said when he woke up was my name!” Blaine said, while the tears kept rolling uncontrollably down his face.

“Well, he must love you very much then.” Richard said.

“Do you really think so?” Blaine asked. He looked like a 5 year old who was asking for some reassurance after his pet had gotten sick.

“Yes, not everybody comes back from _la_ _morte di sonno._ In fact I haven’t known of anyone.”

“Well, I love him more than he can imagine.”

“Is that so?” Richard asked, but there was not a disapproving tone in his voice, on the contrary.

“I know you wanted a different thing for-” Blaine was saying, but Richard put his hand on his mouth to shut him up.

“Listen to me, okay Blaine? Yes, I had plans for you, but as you are well aware off, they were just plans that I, as the King, did to save this Kingdom, but as your father, my one and only desire has been and always will be to see you happy. I’m sorry if I made you believe otherwise. I know that a few minutes ago I was yelling and scolding you, but you can’t start to fathom the emotions that were going through me.”

“You were really upset.” Blaine murmured under his breath, still hidden under his father’s neck.

“I was, but not because of what you’re thinking…” Richard said, leaving a soft kiss on Blaine’s mess of curls, but the boy didn’t notice it. “But because I knew I was losing you, Blaine. When you told me that you simply _‘didn’t care’_ you made me remember a younger version of myself yelling the exact same words to my father, and you know what?”

“What?”

“I was afraid because I knew you actually meant them. Not that I did not mean them at the moment, but I didn’t have what you have, Blaine.”

Blaine looked up and frowned. He didn’t know what he could have that his father didn’t.

“Courage, Blaine...courage.” Richard said. “And when I noticed that in your eyes I knew that there was no way to make you change your mind, so I panicked and started yelling at you trying to intimidate you in hope to make you change your mind.”

Blaine suddenly understood every word his father had yelled, he was genuinely scared of losing his son and that thought sent shivers through all his body.

“And I’m proud to say that you’re just like me, but better...because you’re stronger and clearly smarter than I ever was.”

“Father…”

“It’s the truth, my son. Now, let me give you something that I’m sure will make you very happy.” Richard said, releasing Blaine and standing up.

Richard took out from one of the drawers a wooden box with the Anderson’s Coat of Arms on it. He opened it and revealed a set of fine jewelry that Blaine had never seen before.

“This was from your grandparents.” Richard explained, “These are actually the only things I have left from them. Your aunts and uncles have the rest of them, but I was lucky enough to conserve some things that are pretty close to my heart.” He said, taking a seat next to Blaine.

“Like this set of cuff-links,” He said, handing him a pair of silver cuff-links. “They were my father’s favorites.”

“Just like the ones you are wearing right now are your favorites?” Blaine pointed out, noticing the usual pair of cuff-links his own father loved to wear.

“Good eye, my son. I wasn’t expecting you to notice it so soon.” Richard said with a smile. “But let’s leave that for another occasion, today after what happened I want you to have something very special.”

Blaine looked intrigued; he was dying to know what was that mysterious object. Richard took out a simple silver band with small blue sapphires encrusted on it.

“Here.” He said, handing him the ring. “This was your grandfather’s Nicholas wedding band. When he proposed to my mother he did it with a huge blue sapphire ring, which I’m sure you’re familiar with since I gave it to your brother when Arianna came into his life.”

Blaine remembered that ring, and the way it matched Arianna’s blue eyes.

“When my parents got married they didn't request the traditional wedding bands. Your grandmother loved her blue ring and didn't want another ring that could overshadow it, so my father decided to make a matching ring instead and those two rings became the symbol of their love. Your grandfather used to say that he could see the sea in my mother’s eyes, so the sapphires in this ring reminded him of her eyes. Even after she passed out, he always looked at this ring and smiled.”

Blaine felt his eyes welling up with tears. He had his own pair of blue eyes that reminded him of the sea...Kurt’s.

“I want you to have it and give it to Kurt when you think it’s the right moment. For the arranged marriage I was going to give you one of the common rings from the family, but now that things have settled for the better I want you to have this so you can give it to the person you want to share your life with, and since we already know who he is, well…”

“But…” Blaine trailed off; he couldn’t take that with him to the other world. He couldn’t take that ring that had so much meaning to his father. His plan of going to Kurt’s world was still intact.

“It’s fine, Blaine, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s fine. I wished you could stay and be happy with him here with us, but if you think that being with Kurt in that world is what you want, then you’ll have my blessing.” Richard said, “You and your brother are the most important things I have, and like I told you before, I just want you to be happy. I’m sorry for all that misery I made you went through, but sometimes I forget to be a father before a King, but I love you deeply, my son,” Richard said, fighting back the tears. “And I’m going to miss you so much.”

Blaine sobbed loudly and hugged his father, holding the ring tightly in his hand. “I love you too, father.”

Richard rocked his son for a couple of minutes until Blaine could breath normally again. “Now, there’s something else I want to share with you.”

“What is it?” Blaine asked, wiping the tears that still remained in his eyes.

“Have I ever shared with you how your mother and I met?”

Blaine shook his head even though he already knew the story. He was sure that hearing it from his father was going to make it even more amazing.

“Then pay attention, because you’re about to hear a story that’s is going to sound very familiar…” Richard said, smiling at his son. “You see? You and I are not so different, my son.”

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt opened his eyes very reluctantly, he was having such a good dream that it was hard for him to want to face his reality, but even though the dream had been good he couldn't compare it with the excitement he felt with just the thought of seeing Blaine again. Kurt stretched a little, he was tired, after all, he had had a nightmare and a good dream all in the same night.

“Good morning, kiddo!” Burt exclaimed. He was seated on the couch next to the bed reading the newspaper.

“Hi, dad.” Kurt whispered, still sleepy and rubbing his eyes with his free hand. The other one was under the sling. He hated to have a dislocated shoulder.

“How are you feeling?”

“Hungry.” Kurt said, they had been feeding him with serum, but now he was allowed to eat real food — solid food.

“The nurse will be here any minute now.” Burt informed him.

“Have you eaten something?”

“Not yet, I’ll wait until someone is here with you to go down to the cafeteria.”

“I can stay alone some time, dad. I’m fine...I promise.”

“I know that, but I’ll still wait.”

“What time did Carole say they would be here?” Kurt asked, being very careful not to sound too desperate to know when was he going to see his boyfriend. “Because they are coming, right?”

Burt smiled. “Just say it Kurt, you just want to know when you’re going to see Blaine.”

Kurt blushed slightly. “Okay, yeah...I want to see him, but I also want to see Carole and Finn.”

Burt chuckled. “Well, I already called Carole and they’ll probably be here in one or two hours. The boys are still sleeping.” Burt said, as a matter of explanation.

For a second Kurt panicked. _‘What if Carole had entered and checked on Blaine?’_ He thought, but he knew that he was probably just overreacting. If there was a person in that house who respected privacy that was Carole.

“Did she check on them, or just assumed they were asleep?” Kurt asked, just to make sure they hadn’t discovered Blaine.

Burt shrugged. “She assumed, I guess? Because she knocked in both doors but they didn’t reply, so she’s letting them rest for a little. Finn hasn't had a great week either. He stayed here with you five days in a row until Carole sent him home, he was feeling guilty."

"But it was not his fault." Kurt said.

"We know, but you know him...anyway, and Blaine...well, he looked dreadful last night. I think that the shock of seeing you unconscious and all the traveling exhausted him."

"Yeah, probably." Kurt replied with a smile.

"But don't worry, they will be-" Burt was saying when the door of the room swung open and Kurt's doctor came in.

"Good morning, Kurt! Burt..." He said, looking at the two Hummel men. "How are you feeling today?" He asked the young boy.

"Fine...can I go home?"

The doctor chuckled. "Well," he said, taking the charts that usually hang in front of the patient's bed. "If you keep getting better, I think that you'll probably be out of here on Monday."

"But that means two more days in here!" Kurt complained, clearly not happy with the doctor's answer. He was expecting to be discharged today.

"Kurt..." The doctor said, looking up from the charts. "You woke up from an eight days coma. And even though it was not a lot of time, it's not as simple as it sounds. Before you go home, we have to make sure that you are okay. That your brain is okay."

Kurt rolled his eyes and snorted. He was not happy with the idea of staying two more days in the hospital. "Fine, but can you promise me that I'll be home on Monday?"

The doctor gave him a reassuring smile. "You know? It's a good sign that you're grumpy in the mornings. I have a young son too, and when he's not grumpy during breakfast we know something is not fine. So keep up with the morning bad mood and I can promise you that you'll be home soon." The doctor said, making some final notes in Kurt's charts and leaving the room.

"I hate hospitals." Kurt murmured under his breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it for now. I hope you've liked it. Sorry for adding some angst, but we needed a bit of drama. This was starting to look like a fairy tale and although (like Cooper) I'm a full-time advocate of happy-endings, I wanted to spice things up a little bit. You'll see why ;) Anyway...we still have 13 chapters to go so keep an eye for new updates. See you soon!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! First things first. I just respond to your comments, so thank you for reading this story. To the lovely person who wrote me via tumblr, please don't think that I'm ignoring you, but you asked exactly what's going to happen in this chapter so I'll answer your message in a few days...I don't want to spoil you.  
> Anyway, here's the new update. I really hope you like the way I'm going to twist this story. I know it's not what some of you are expecting, but since I have plans for more installments of this verse I had to change some things a little bit. I've already thrown some hints in the previous chapters of what is about to happen, but I guess that you are going to find out with exact words in this update.  
> **sweats nervously**  
> Anyway...more notes at the end. Enjoy!

Kurt opened his eyes and exhaled loudly, stretching his body — or the parts of his body that were not restrained by some kind of bandage or sling — and enjoying the sensation of being home. It had been his first night back on his bed since the incident and he felt well rested. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall. _6:32am_ , it was early for a no-school day, but he couldn’t get back to sleep. He knew his brother was still snoring in his room, his dad was probably sleeping too, and Carole already awake and taking her morning yoga class.

If he could move, he would have probably walked downstairs and grabbed a mug of coffee, but since he was still confined to his bed, he just waited there, looking at the window to catch the first glimpses of the sun when they peeked through the horizon. But his activities were suddenly interrupted when a body started to materialize in front of his eyes.

“Oh my God!” Kurt exclaimed, when he finally saw Blaine’s face. “That was weird.” He murmured.

Kurt had been practicing _itineranzza_ for the last couple of months, so he wasn’t clueless about the process, but he had never seen anyone doing it and he had to admit that it was equally scary as amazing.

“Good morning, my love!” Blaine exclaimed, smiling all broadly to his boyfriend from the couch where he had gone to sleep the night before after sneaking back to Kurt’s room.

“How was your first night out of the hospital?” Blaine asked, leaning over and kissing him good morning.

“Excellent.” Kurt confessed, “I don’t remember the last time I slept this well.”

“That’s good, you need to rest to get better as soon as possible. You have to be fine to go back to Bellezza so we can properly say goodbye to my family.” Blaine said, taking a seat next to Kurt on the bed and resting his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

Kurt flinched a little, not for the contact, but for what Blaine had said. Since Blaine shared with him that he had told his family about their plan, and after hearing that they now had their blessing to be together, Kurt had been trying to find the right moment to talk to Blaine about something important. A decision he had made that could affect them both.

“B?” Kurt asked.

“Yes, my love? Do you need something? You want me to bring you some water? I could sneak back to _my room_ and then pretend to come out from there.”

“No, I don’t need anything, but I do need you to do something for me.”

“Anything, my love. What is it?” Blaine asked, raising his head to look at Kurt directly in the eyes.

“I’m going to tell my dad about you.” Kurt said.

Blaine frowned confused. “Doesn’t he already know that I’m your boyfriend?” Blaine asked, seriously confused.

“I’m going to tell him about Bellezza.” Kurt said, determined.

“Oh.”

“That’s why I need you to go back there and then come back later like in…” Kurt hesitated, looking at the clock. “...less than 2 hours. My dad will be here and I think it’s better if he sees everything with his own eyes. Could you do that for me?”

“I could try…” Blaine confessed, “I’m not good at the meditating thing. It takes me hours to fall asleep if I’m not tired.”

“I can help you right now, and once you get there ask Ray to give you a tonic. He asked me to never reveal the existence of such things, but this is an emergency so I believe he’ll understand. He has this tonic that can knock you out with one sip, they are to help you sleep, so ask him for one and come back to me, okay?”

Blaine nodded. “He mentioned them once, but I never asked...are you sure about this?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Now go back to the couch and close your eyes for me, okay B?”

“Fine.” Blaine said, kissing him in the lips quickly and running back to the couch.

“Now, close your eyes and try to ease your breathing.” Kurt instructed him, like Ray had taught him. “Are you doing it?”

“Yes.” Blaine whispered.

“Good, now just follow my voice, okay...don’t think...just feel.”

o-o-o-o-o

Burt put the milk jug back on the fridge and carried the tray with his son’s breakfast that Carole had prepared. He climbed the stairs and very slowly made his way inside Kurt’s room. He didn’t want to wake his son if he was still sleeping, but once inside he found Kurt fully awake and half seated on his bed, with the notebook he had once given him firmly secured around his hands.

“Good morning, kiddo!”

“Morning, dad.”

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Burt smiled and put the tray in front of Kurt.

“This looks delicious!” Kurt exclaimed, “How I missed real food! The things they gave me back in the hospital couldn’t be classified as real food.” He said, grabbing some toast. “This is real food.” He murmured, while taking a bite and squealing in pleasure.

“Well, then eat everything because you have to regain your strength.” Burt said, pulling the chair next to his son’s bed and taking a seat.

“Dad?” Kurt said, while digging into his omelet.

“Yes?”

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it, kiddo?”

“Hmmm…” Kurt hesitated for a minute. He knew that after this moment there was no turning back. “Remember some weeks ago when you found me unconscious?”

“Yes…” Burt replied, doubtfully. He didn’t know what his son wanted to say.

“Well, I know you freaked out and everything, and the doctor couldn’t find a reasonable explanation to what had happened to me, but I do know why I was like that.”

Burt frowned even more confused.

“I even shared the story with that therapist with whom you took me, but he didn’t believe me. He said that it was all a product of my imagination and that it was a psychotic reaction to what was happening to me, but he was wrong.”

“What are you talking about?” Burt questioned.

Kurt took a deep breath and shared with his dad everything he had been through in the last couple of weeks. He knew his dad was trying to follow him, but he looked lost in his own thoughts. Kurt knew that a part of Burt really wanted to believe him, but his rational part knew that what his son was saying couldn’t be true.

“Look, Kurt, all that you’re saying can’t be true. I think you’re having a mental breakdown due to all the stuff you went through, because, buddy...Blaine can’t be from another world. He’s real, son. Hell! He’s sleeping in the room next door.”

“No, he’s not. He traveled yesterday from here back to Bellezza and he’ll be back in some minutes, so I don’t want you to freak out because it’s pretty impressive, even for me that I’ve been doing it for months now.” Kurt said.

“Kurt, buddy...I think you’re really, really confused. Why don’t you just go back to sleep? Maybe those pills you’re taking are making you hallucinate things or imagine stuff. Blaine is asleep in the other room.”

“Why don’t you go and check if he’s there?” Kurt challenged his dad.

“Okay, I will.” Burt said, more for his son’s sake than anything. He knew that once he entered the room and found Blaine in his bed, he would just go back to Kurt and tried to persuade him to sleep.

Burt left the room and Kurt immediately started to sweat. Now Blaine would just have to show up again and his dad would finally believe him.

“Are you sneaking your boyfriend into your room? Where did you hide him?” Burt said, re-entering the room and looking around, trying to spot Blaine hidden somewhere.

“No, I’m not. I was telling you the truth, dad. So, please...now just sit down here with me and let’s wait for Blaine, I want to tell you both something. I’m sure he’ll be here any minu-” He was saying, when a familiar shape started to materialized on the couch.

Burt took a step backwards cursing and almost tripping with the chair, while Kurt took a deep, deep breath.

“Holy shit!” Burt exclaimed, when he recognized the boy. “It’s-it’s him…” he said, looking back and forth between Kurt and Blaine.

“Good morning, sir.” Blaine said, smiling slightly. He knew Burt was on the edge between freaking out and call them both insane, or flee terrified.

“Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.” Burt whispered, clutching the back of the chair for some support; he suddenly felt dizzy. 

“Sit down, dad. I don’t want you to pass out, I told you this was impressive. Just breathe and sit down, please.” Kurt said, suddenly fearful that his dad could have a new heart attack. He hadn’t thought about that when he first started plotting this conversation in his head.

Burt sat down and whispered, “But how…?”

Kurt explained everything again and this time, he showed his dad the notebook; explaining him how it worked and the little he knew about the brotherhood, he and his boyfriend were part of.

“But that’s impossi-” Burt began to say, but took back his words. He could no longer say it was impossible since the boy had practically appeared like a magician in front of him, but still it was hard to believe.

“I know it is hard to believe and a true shock. That’s why I decided to do it this way. If I had just shared the story with you, you would have not believed me, you needed to see it for yourself.” Kurt said, grabbing his dad's hand with one hand and Blaine’s with the other.

“Do you believe me now?” Kurt asked tentatively.

Burt looked up and glanced between his son and Blaine. “How could I not? I mean, he just-he just…” Burt trailed off, “...appeared.”

“I know, dad.”

“Since-since when you say you’ve been doing this?”

“Since you gave me this notebook.” Kurt said.

“And you?” Burt asked, directly to Blaine.

Blaine was about to reply, but Kurt answered instead. “Blaine wasn’t a _itinerante_ , dad. He just did it because I promised to be back in Bellezza a little after Christmas and I never showed up.”

Burt blinked repeatedly. To say he was in shock was an understatement.

“I shared this with you, dad, because…” Kurt trailed off. His throat was suddenly dry and he was sure he had stopped breathing. “I decided to move permanently to Bellezza.” Kurt shared his plan. The one he had thought about the moment he had woken up and found Blaine by his side after the attack.

Blaine gasped in surprise, and Burt looked even more mortified than before.

“You...what?” Burt asked.

“I decided to move permanently to Bellezza.” Kurt repeated.

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Blaine asked, not really sure of what to say. “You know I was willing to come here with you, you don’t have to-”

“I’m sure, Blaine.” Kurt interrupted, “Well obviously only if you agree, I don't’ want to impose.”

“You would never be imposing, my love, and you know that, but-”

“B…” Kurt said, looking at his boyfriend’s honey eyes. “My world, this world…” he said, pointing around. “It’s not safe for us; you saw what they did to me just for fun. Imagine what could happen to both of us. In Bellezza, we don’t have to worry about any of that, our only concern are the Smythe’s and think about it. If I moved permanently there, then I’d have a shadow and they would never know I’m not from there.”

“And, what about school? Your friends? Your family...me?” Burt asked. He had found his voice again.

Kurt turned around to face his dad. “I’m going to miss them all, and especially you, but I can’t keep going through this, dad.” Kurt said, pointing to his bruised body to make a point. “If I’m not lucky the next time I’ll end up dead.”

Blaine instinctively did the good fortune gesture and murmured under his breath. _‘Oh, God no.’_ shivering with just the thought of being in a world — any world — in which his boyfriend was not alive.

“Dad?” Kurt said; his dad had suddenly gone silent again.

“I’m trying to think, Kurt. This is a lot hell of information and I don’t know what to say, think or anything.” Burt said.

“Give your dad some time, Kurt.” Blaine said, squeezing Kurt’s hand tightly.

“Yes, give me some time, kid. I need to process everything. In fact I think we all have to think about this a little more.” Burt said, standing up and walking to the door. “I-Hmmm...I’ll go to take a walk to hmmm, think.” He said, not looking back at his son and Blaine, and just walking away.

o-o-o-o-o

Since Kurt revealed his plan of moving to Bellezza a few hours ago, Blaine had been very quiet. The young Prince looked lost somewhere in his own thoughts and Kurt noticed it.

“Are you okay, B? Since I shared my new plan, you’ve been very quiet. If you don’t want me to move to your world just say it, okay? I won’t be mad at you, I totally understand it’s just that-”

But Kurt didn’t finish whatever he was about to say, because Blaine shut him up with a kiss. “It’s not that, the news just caught me by surprise. That’s all...I think it’s better if I just go back now, since apparently now I’m the one who needs to make the proper arrangements.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with me being there?”

Blaine gave him a _don’t-be-silly_ kind of look. “Of course, I am. Are you kidding? I just want to be with you, I don’t care in which world, it can be this, mine or a new one, as long as I get to spend the rest of my life with you.” Blaine said, and Kurt could read in those eyes he now knew so well that his boyfriend wasn’t lying.

“I love you, B.”

“And I love you, my love!” Blaine said, leaning over to give his boyfriend a more longer and sloppy kiss. A kind of kiss they hadn’t shared before.

Kurt got carried away and kissed his boyfriend back, trying to express with every touch how much he loved him. The kiss went on for some minutes until a sharp movement made Kurt wince a little.

“I’m sorry.” Blaine immediately apologized. His cheeks were flushed and he was having trouble breathing.

“Never apologize for that.” Kurt said; he was as flushed as Blaine was. “And just do it again...I liked it.” Kurt said, leaning again for another kiss.

Blaine kissed him back, but between kisses he started to say. “I-” Kiss. “Can’t.” Kiss. “Stay.”

“Why not?” Kurt complained.

“Because,” Blaine said, stepping back a bit and just brushing Kurt’s flushed cheeks with the back of his hand. “If I stay we will continue doing this and your brother, father or stepmother can enter any minute and-” Blaine said, trying not to laugh at his boyfriend’s rolling eyes. “I have to go back and prepare everything for your permanent move.”

“Fine!” Kurt muttered, a little grumpy.

“Awww, don’t make those faces, silly. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, but don’t you ever dare to kiss me like that again if you’re not planning on making it last for at least one hour, do you understand?”

Blaine burst out laughing, but very seductively leaned over and whispered. “Are you sure you don’t want me to kiss you like that ever again?”

Kurt stopped breathing, but nodded. “I am...sure…”

“As you wish.” Blaine murmured, and started to back off to get to the couch, but Kurt pulled him back.

“No, I was lying! I do want you to kiss me like that all the time!” He said, quickly locking lips with his boyfriend. That urgent need was back on the pitch of his stomach.

Blaine kissed him back willingly. “I knew you would regret it, but never thought it would take you exactly three seconds.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No, I don’t, but I get pretty close to that feeling.”

“Yes, keep telling yourself that. Now I really have to go.” He said, giving Kurt a quick peck on the lips and walking toward the couch.

“Can you explain me how are you planning on going back to sleep? Because, let me tell you that as a way of revenge I’m not helping you this time.” Kurt said, smiling mischievously.

“Oh, don’t worry, my love. I have my own methods.” He said, pulling out from his pocket a small glass bottle with a green liquid inside, and flashing it to Kurt.

“You-”

“See you tomorrow, my love...think about me...I love you.” He said, taking a sip of the green liquid and disappearing almost immediately, not giving Kurt a second to even say I love you back.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine opened his eyes and found himself alone in the darkness of his chambers. He let his mind wander a little, and smiled at the memory of that last kiss he had shared with his boyfriend. It was loaded with so many promises of a future together, of a life together that he still had trouble breathing.

He wasn’t going to deny that Kurt’s plan had caught him off guard at first, but the reason why he had been so quiet about it was not because he didn’t feel excited or happy about it, but because he had already imagined his life in Kurt’s world, and even though he knew it was going to be one hell of a challenge for him to get use to all that magic and technology, he was willing to do it just for him. But now that the possibility of having Kurt in Bellezza was real, he didn’t know how to feel about it.

He felt guilty about feeling excited about it. Kurt had already made a lot of sacrifices in his life and he was willing to make another one, which in Blaine’s opinion was the biggest one. And deep down Blaine was just afraid that Kurt could regret it one day. After all, Kurt was going to leave everything behind just to have a life with him, and even though Blaine had technically offered himself to do the same, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it. _‘What if later he regrets it and wants to go back? What if he stops loving me? If he moves here then we could actually be together and he would become a-’_ Blaine didn’t even want to think about it. Because _‘Why if that was not what Kurt wanted? What if that ruined their relationship?’_

Blaine had so many unanswered questions going through his mind, so he stood up and even though it was the middle of the night, he walked out his chambers and knocked on the door of the only person who could give him the advice he needed to hear.

“Coop, it’s me, Blaine. Please open the door.” He said, whispering, but knocking hard enough to wake his brother.

After a couple of seconds, Cooper — looking like a sleeping mess — opened the door. “Are you okay, Lamb? Why are you awake so late?”

“Can I come in?” Blaine asked.

Cooper nodded and moved a little so his brother could enter the room. Blaine quickly walked to the window and with the few rays of moonlight that were peeking through the shutters, looked for some matches to light a candle.

Once the room was a bit illuminated, he shared the latest news with his brother.

“But that’s amazing, Lamb!” Cooper exclaimed, excited with the idea of Kurt living with them. “You two could actually be together, get married, and have your happily ever after.”

“I know, but what if he later regrets it?” Blaine said, sharing his major concern.

“Why would he regret it?”

“If we get married he would become a-”

“A Prince, and?” Cooper asked, not really following his little brother’s concerns. If he were in his place, he was sure he would be screaming from the rooftops with excitement.

“What if that’s not what he wants?” Blaine asked.

Cooper rolled his eyes. “Have you ever really seen your boyfriend? I mean, see the way he is when he’s in Bellezza? He loves it here, Blaine. He was practically born to be a Prince. Just look at the way he moves himself around here, the way he wears all those clothes you lent him, which by the way I noticed were my old clothes.” Cooper pointed out. “But still, he acts like if he were in his natural habitat, Blaine. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were crowned as King instead of you.” He added, winking at his brother.

“That crown will be yours so stop that, okay?”

“I know, but if for some reason I couldn’t be the King, I’m sure that the Pope wouldn’t hesitate to crown him instead of you. He has more King’s looks than any of us.”

Blaine smiled nodding because it was true. Kurt probably didn’t know it, but he was born a leader and he had that authoritarian aura that every King needed to have a successful ruling.

“I understand that you’re scared.” Cooper continued, “Love and commitment are a scaring thing, but isn’t that what you wanted to have with him? A lifetime together?”

Blaine nodded, because that’s all he ever wanted.

“Then I don’t see the problem, Lamb...on the contrary, this new chapter in the story seems to have a happy ending for everyone.”

“Not everyone,” Blaine said, lowering his head. That was the other thing that troubled his mind. “Kurt has to leave behind his family and friends…he has to sacrifice that for me.”

“Not just for you, Blaine, but for himself too. Didn’t you tell me they almost killed him for what he is in that world of his?” Cooper asked, and Blaine just nodded. “Then, this decision he’s taking it’s just for the best, Blaine. And even though I understand what you’re saying, I know that deep down you also know I’m right. What happened to him in that world was bad, and he’s lucky to be alive, not everyone recovers from _la morte di sonno._ ”

“I know, but he’s going to be sad.”

“But you could go back to visit his family anytime, right? You two are _itinerantes_ or whatever.”

“ _Itineranti_...and yes, you’re right!” Blaine said, suddenly less worried. “We could both have talisman from that world and go visit them!”

“See? It’s not a bad thing, in fact I think it’s actually the best thing that could have ever happened to both of you.” Cooper said, and Blaine suddenly felt relieved. His brother was right. This was for the best, and now that he knew things wouldn’t be so bad he allowed himself to feel excited about it.

“Oh.” Cooper said, giving him a knowingly smile. “Now, you’re smiling...what’s on that head of yours?”

“Well, now it seems that I have to arrange a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

“You know…” Blaine said, moving his left hand in a suspicious way.

“Oh.” Cooper said, suddenly understanding.

“Among other things…”

“What’s more important than that?”

Blaine laughed. “Telling mother and father.”

o-o-o-o-o

Not long after lunchtime, Mercedes showed up at the Hudson-Hummel’s house and since she already knew all about Bellezza, and she had witnessed the lack of shadow in Blaine, Kurt filled her in with the latest news.

“Wait, what?” Mercedes asked stunned, “Are you sure of what you’re saying?”

“Yes, it’s something I’ve been thinking since I woke up from the coma.”

“But…”

“Just try to understand, Cedes. It’s the best for everyone. I get to be with the love of my life and safe at the same time. Here’s not safe for neither of us.”

“But, what about New York? You already got admitted to Parson’s...what are you going to do about it? You also have the callback for NYADA.”

“I know, I always thought that New York was my ticket out of hell, but think about this, Cedes…I didn’t get that notebook for nothing. Why do you think I met Blaine?” He questioned, “We were destined to be and if it’s not here then where do you think it is?”

Mercedes went silent, she was thinking about it.

“Bellezza became my safe haven, Cedes. Blaine became my safe haven. I can’t jeopardize that...I don’t want to. Besides, I never told anyone this, not even Blaine, but I’ve been having this dreams where I stay in Bellezza.” Kurt confessed, “At first I was the one living there and Blaine was just laying there and I waited for him, but he was old and so I was, then the dream changed and I saw myself walking around the palace and I knew he was waiting for me somewhere, but I didn’t get to see him just-”

“Just, what?” Mercedes asked intrigued.

Kurt hesitated. He didn’t want to share with anyone what he saw in that dream. At least not every detail. “Just my reflection…” He partially lied. “with a shadow.” He omitted the other pair of eyes he had seen in that mirror.

“So, do you really see yourself staying there forever?”

“Yes!”

“But, what would happen to your body here? I mean, didn’t you tell me that every time you travel you stay in this state of unconsciousness?”

“Well, technically my body would have to die here.”

With that Mercedes couldn’t hold it any longer and she started to cry.

“Don’t cry, Cedes, it’s not like I’m really going to die...but in order to move there permanently I have to leave everything behind.”

“But, what are we supposed to do in here with that? I mean, are we going to say that you’re dead?”

“I still don’t know, I haven’t talked about that with my dad. I just told him the news so…”

Mercedes took a deep breath and sat next to Kurt on the bed and hugged him tightly.

“I’m going to miss you so much.” She said between sobs. “But I promise not to cry, because I know that you’ll be happy.”

Kurt’s eyes welled up with tears. “I’m going to miss you too.”

“Just promise me that I’ll get the chance to say goodbye.”

“I promise.”

o-o-o-o-o

Late at night, when everybody else was already sleeping, Burt slipped back into Kurt’s room and just looked at him while he sleep — or pretended to be asleep, since Kurt had been awake and the moment he had listened to the door cracking open he had closed his eyes and tried to ease his breathing.

Burt took a seat, and oblivious to the fact that his son was listening to every word he said, he spoke up. “Oh, Kurt...and what am I supposed to tell Carole and Finn?” He whispered.

“The truth…” Kurt whispered back.

“Whoa! I didn’t know you were awake.”

“I’m sorry, dad.”

“Don’t be, now go back to sleep, okay? You need to rest.”

“But we have to talk.” Kurt immediately said.

“Let’s not talk about it just yet, okay?” Burt said, standing up and walking to the door. “You need to recover first before making any final decision.”

“Okay, goodnight, dad...I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Burt walked out of the room and Kurt sighed. He knew his dad was in denial, but he also knew that he’d have to come around it...eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's official, Kurt is moving to Bellezza....I know most of you wanted it to be the other way around, but in my head I always had the idea of Kurt moving there. I hope you like that too. Btw, the next updates will have 3 chapters each (just 4 updates more) and **spoiler alert** the Smythe's are back and in full force! See you soon!


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay but my laptop crashed and editing the chapters using an iPad is a nightmare. Anyway, like I promised...new update with 3 new chapters! From now on there will be a lot of cheesy stuff between Kurt and Blaine because, why not? There's a small time jump marked at the beginning of this chapter and a very important scene that despite the obvious, will be relevant for future updates ;)  
> Like usual, more notes at the end of CH29. Enjoy!

Four weeks passed and Kurt was so much better now, the sling supporting his shoulder was now gone and his ribs seemed to be healing perfectly, in fact, they didn’t hurt him anymore; and all the bruises around his body were almost gone — his skin was almost clean.

During all this time, several things had happened, Blaine, obviously, had come and gone to visit Kurt everyday from Bellezza, and they, along with Burt, had sorted out Kurt’s future. Kurt would be allowed to go to Bellezza permanently with Blaine when he graduated from high school in a couple of months, only with the promise of visiting Burt at least twice a year no matter what. Apart from that, Kurt had to promise to keep studying and make something out of him, besides being Blaine’s boyfriend. Kurt promised to go to the University of Padavia along with Blaine, when they both had the permissible age that was 20 in Bellezza. With that Burt had seemed to have partially approved the plan, since he was still reluctant to let go of his son, even though he knew he had to.

Today was Kurt’s first time back to Bellezza after the attack, and because of that he had been anxious in his bedroom since he had first opened his eyes in the morning. Blaine had not visited him today because Kurt had asked him to have a full night of sleep, so he had the energy to receive him there.

Blaine had been traveling back and forth nonstop from Bellezza to Kurt’s world for weeks, and parallel to that, he had also been fulfilling his duties as Prince of the Kingdom. Life in Bellezza had kept going and the Remora's annual horse races had started, and the Royal family had been invited. Blaine had to assist, but that hadn't stopped him from visiting Kurt. He started to practice _itineranzza_ from Remora despite Ray’s complains. The old _itinerante_ had told Blaine, _‘Are you crazy? You can’t practice itineranzza from the Smythe’s empire!’_ But Blaine hadn’t listened and had traveled anyway.

Kurt was partially thankful for that, since he had grown accustomed to have Blaine in his life everyday, but he had also scolded his boyfriend a little bit because what the old _itinerante_ had told him was not completely wrong. What Blaine had been doing during that time had been extremely risky.

“Buddy!” Burt said, entering the room and bringing Kurt back from his thoughts. “You wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes, dad. I want you to stay here with me while I travel to Bellezza tonight.” Kurt said, and he saw the blood draining from his father’s face.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, dad. I want you to witness what happens so that you can start to get used to it. I’m ready to go back there, so if you don’t mind, could you close the door?”

Burt did what he was told to and closed the door.

“And now what?” He asked, not really sure of the procedures he had to follow.

“I just have to fall asleep holding the notebook.”

“Okay, then let’s do it.” Burt said, trying to sound excited even though Kurt could tell that his dad was internally freaking out.

“Okay.” Kurt replied, closing his eyes.

He could feel Burt's penetrating gaze upon him, but he tried to ignore it and to relax a little in order to fall asleep. In less than five minutes Kurt felt his body surrendering to sleep and with thoughts of Blaine, Bellezza and all the awesome stuff that was waiting for him there, he fell asleep.

Burt gasped when the notebook that his son had been holding disappeared from his hands in front of his eyes.

“Kurt?” Burt questioned, but his son was no longer there.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt opened his eyes, he was received by an overwhelming hug coming from no other than Raymond Armati. The old _itinerante_ was not a man who enjoyed showing his emotions, but with all the time they had been spending together, he had learned to love Kurt as much as he loved Blaine — like the sons he never had. And after almost two months of not seeing him, he felt the need to show how much he had missed him.

“I’m so glad you’re back!”

“I’m glad to be back too!” Kurt exclaimed. “Hello, there!” He said, waving at Blaine who had stepped back some steps to allow Ray to have his moment with Kurt.

“Hi!” Blaine said, walking closer to the bed and leaving a soft kiss on his lips. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine, in fact, look…” Kurt said, showing Blaine the inner part of his left arm, where a huge bruise was still healing back in Kurt’s world. “The bruise I still had here disappeared.” Ray and Blaine frowned. “And this is not the first time that it happens, do you remembered that I told you that Dave had hit me and that I had my lip a bit swollen? It didn't show up here either. You didn't notice it.”

“Maybe the portal heals the body of the traveler?” Blaine suggested.

“Maybe…” Ray said, frowning thoughtfully. “I’ll try to share this new discovery with my master, but I’m sure some truth must be in that statement.”

“And, what’s the plan for today?” Kurt asked, showing his excitement. He was simply just too happy to be back to the place that would be his home very soon.

“I’m afraid that Blaine’s the one in charge of easing you back here today.” Ray said, smiling knowingly to Blaine, who looked like if he could jump from the roof at any minute. He was ecstatic.

“So, do you have something planned?” Kurt asked, smirking at his boyfriend, while Ray very discreetly left the room.

Blaine nodded frantically. “We have a full day planned for us. I want you to formally meet my parents, especially my mother who is dying to meet you, and have lunch with them. Then, Cooper wants us to join him for a ride around the gardens. He has a new horse, Pericles, so I thought it was a good idea since you haven’t ride Pavarotti and he misses you, and then-” Blaine was saying, but Kurt had stopped paying attention after the _‘I want you to formally meet my parents’_ part.

“What?” Blaine asked, when he noticed that Kurt was lost in his thoughts.

“You want me to meet your parents?”

“Yes?” Blaine said, not really knowing why Kurt looked so scared. It’s not like he didn’t know them already.

“But, what if they-”

“Don’t approve?” Blaine said, already knowing to where Kurt was going with this.

Kurt nodded and Blaine laughed.

“They already approve, don’t worry about that. And besides, why are you so nervous? You already know my father, it’s just my mother who doesn’t know you...but I have told her all about you, so it’s not like you’re a complete stranger to her.”

“Yeah, sorry. I freaked out for a minute, but you’re right. I already know your father and brother, and I’m sure that it will be a real pleasure to finally meet your mother.” Kurt said, trying to relax a little. “Okay, so let’s go meet the King and Queen of the Kingdom,” he said, standing up from Blaine’s bed and grabbing his Bellezzan clothes.

“Not so fast.” Blaine said, “I want you to go with me to some other place first.”

Kurt frowned, but nodded, getting dressed and following Blaine out the room when he was ready.

o-o-o-o-o

After watching the notebook disappear from his son’s hand, Burt stayed there staring at his son's motionless body. Even though to this point he almost believed everything about this bizarre parallel universe, watching it with his own eyes really put him in the edge of freaking out. It had been almost as shocking as seeing Blaine materialize in the room.

Not knowing what else to do, he walked out the room, closed the door and knocked on Finn’s room.

“Buddy,” He called him. “Could you come down to the kitchen for a minute? I have something to share with you and your mom.”

“I’ll be there in a second!” Finn yelled from inside his room.

“Don’t take long, okay? It’s important.”

“Sure!”

Burt took a deep breath and started to walk toward the kitchen. It was time to tell the truth to the rest of the family.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt and Blaine reached the front of the palace there was a huge black carriage with the Anderson’s Coat of Arms waiting for them — a very stylized letter "A" with two swords flanking it and silver ornaments shining with the sunlight.

Kurt couldn’t help but squeal a little, it was the first time in all his time in Bellezza that he was actually going to get into one of those strange carriages pulled by horses that seemed to be very, very exclusive in this city. The _gondoles_ were the means of transport par excellence, and it made sense since it was a city surrounded by water — literally, but he had always wanted to get a ride in one of these carriages.

“Ready?” Blaine asked, motioning Kurt to climb into the carriage.

Kurt just nodded and climbed in, immediately getting excited for the fancy red velvet interiors.

“This looks like a real carriage from a movie.” Kurt whispered, still in awe.

“Well, it is a real carriage...and this is definitely not a movie.” Blaine replied, now knowing of what he was talking about. During all the weeks he spent visiting Kurt in his world, he learned a lot of things about the 21st century, but mostly he developed some addiction to movies, especially Moulin Rouge.

“Sometimes I find it hard to believe. I like to think that we’re living our own movie, don’t you agree?” Kurt said, giving Blaine a sheepishly look.

“Then this will be the best movie ever.” Blaine replied, kissing him on the lips. Something that until the last time Kurt had been there was still out of limits in the public eye.

In fact, Kurt still found it hard to believe that this time he had actually used the main gates of the palace to come out and not the secret entrances he used to use.

“Are you telling me where are we going?” Kurt asked, between kisses.

“No, it’s a surprise. In fact…” Blaine said, throwing himself back a little and grabbing a piece of cloth from the floor. “I’ll have to blindfold you once we’re out of the palace.”

“Why?”

“Because otherwise you’ll guess where I am taking you and I really want to surprise you.”

“Are you kidnapping me or something? Because I didn’t bring the notebook, just so you know.”

“No, well yes, but we have to eventually return to the palace to have lunch with my parents and we can not disregard the King and Queen of the Kingdom, that would be extremely rude of us.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, “And don’t forget your brother.”

“Well, he doesn’t matter that much...he’s not that sentimental. Let’s say he understands that we need some time alone.” Blaine said, “Now, turn around so I can put this on.”

“Fine!” Kurt said, unable to hide his excitement. “This better be as perfect as Pavarotti or else you’ll get in trouble, mister. You know I don’t like surprises.”

“Well, then let’s hope it beats your horse.” Blaine said, leaving a sweet kiss on Kurt’s lips, while the carriage got lost in the small streets of Bellezza.

o-o-o-o-o

A servant, who had been checking the activity around the Anderson’s palace, immediately rushed inside his small room and scribbled a quick note.

_“The boy is back…”_

Sealing the small piece of paper with wax, he ran again out of the palace and hurried to town. He had to send this message to his master immediately.

o-o-o-o-o

When the carriage finally stopped, Blaine found himself sweating. He was very nervous, but knowing that Kurt couldn’t see him help him calm down a little. He took a deep breath, made the good fortune gesture and climbed down the carriage to later help his boyfriend.

“Are we where we’re supposed to be?” Kurt asked.

“Not yet, this is just a stop...we’ll have to walk from here.” Blaine informed.

“Can I remove the blindfold?”

“Not yet, my love.” Blaine said, grabbing Kurt's hand to guide him. “I’ll be your eyes for the next five minutes, now follow me, okay? I won’t let you fall. I promise you.”

“Okay.” Kurt said with anticipation.

They walked for some minutes, left, right, left, right and then straight. Kurt was completely at a lost in here. He could hear some echoes coming from somewhere in town, but he couldn't identify where he was until a familiar drip of water started to get more clear.

“Where are we?” Kurt asked tentatively.

“We are close, now don’t ask, okay? We’ll be there in a few seconds.” Blaine said, still guiding him until they stopped.

Kurt already suspected where they were, but very patiently waited until Blaine started to remove the blindfold from his eyes. And just like he had imagined, they were in the Abbazia Allagata.

“Why did you have to blindfold me if I already knew this pla-” Kurt said, but he didn’t finish his sentence because in that moment he noticed the series of floating candles — Ray’s doing, he was sure of that — floating around the lake. It was not dark, in fact the sun was just above their heads, but they were brightening like if they had sparks igniting them tenfold from the inside. It was a beautiful view, and when he managed to get his eyes away from the floating candles, he noticed the blanket spread on the grass at the far end side of the lake, where trees made a long shadow.

“What’s this?” Kurt asked, touched by the romantic gesture.

“Oh, just a welcome home picnic, my love.” Blaine said, trying to sound nonchalant, as if the whole setting meant nothing.

Kurt smiled warmly and turning around, he linked his arms around Blaine’s neck. “I love you!” Kurt said, leaning over for a kiss, but was very surprised when Blaine turned his head and didn’t let him kiss him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Blaine said, smiling at him and caressing his cheek. “Just follow me, okay?”

Kurt frowned confused, but followed Blaine. To say that his boyfriend was acting weird was an understatement.

When they reached the blanket, Kurt noticed that there was a basket with fruits, bread and cheese, and some bottles of wine. Kurt was admiring the setting, when Blaine pulled him with him to the shore of the lake.

“What are you-” Kurt asked, but the words died somewhere in his throat. In the lakeside, floating between more candles, was the most beautiful water lily that Kurt had ever seen and inside the flower there was a silver ring with blue sapphires encrusted in it. Kurt gasped.

“Oh my God.” He said, but Blaine was already down in one knee picking up the ring and offering it to Kurt, flashing him with those honey eyes that Kurt was sure could cure all the sadness in both worlds.

“Kurt, do you remember when we first met? I stained your clothes with wine, and grabbed your hand dragging you with me around the Piazza. Every time I think about it I’m more sure that we were meant to be; I’m really not in the habit of taking other people's hands, much less people I've never met before, but I think that my soul knew something that my mind and body didn't know yet. It knew that our hands were meant to hold each other, fearlessly and forever, which is why it's never really felt like I've been getting to know you, it's always felt like I was remembering you from something. As if in every lifetime that you and I have lived, we've chosen to come back and find each other and fall in love all over again, over and over for all eternity. And I just feel so lucky that I found you so soon even when you come from a different world, because all I want to do, all I've ever wanted to do is spend my life loving you. I know that perhaps in your world this is too soon, but here we are in the right age to start a lifetime together, so Kurt Hummel, my amazing friend, my one true love, will you marry me?”

Kurt stopped breathing and found himself out of words — probably for the lack of air, so he just nodded frantically trying to keep his emotions at bay, but failing as some tears started to roll down his face. “Yes, yes, yes!” He said, when the words finally came out of his mouth. “Yes! I will marry you!”

Blaine gave him the most beautiful of the smiles and standing up, he slid the ring in his finger. It fit perfectly, and it was beautiful. Kurt hadn’t seen a most beautiful ring in his life, but he couldn’t admire it that much because Blaine’s lips captured his in a sweet and passionate kiss. Their first kiss as fiances, and now Kurt knew why Blaine was waiting to kiss him. He wanted it to be special.

“I love you.” Blaine whispered. There were tears in his eyes too.

“I love you too!” Kurt said, kissing him again.

The moment was perfect, two boys reconnecting each other, two souls compromising to spend a lifetime together, and between kisses and sweet new touches, Kurt and Blaine connected not only in soul, but in body too. Allowing themselves to explore each others' bodies. Sealing with that act, the most beautiful promise of never ending love.

o-o-o-o-o

Cooper was pacing around his chambers just waiting for his brother to arrive. He knew all about Blaine’s plan to propose to Kurt and he wanted to be the first one to congratulate the newly engaged couple.

“Your Highness!” Randy, Cooper’s serving-maid, entered the room. “The carriage just arrived to the palace.”

“They are here?” Cooper asked, already rushing to the door and barely noticing when Randy nodded.

Cooper ran down the stairs and rushed to the main gates. His brother and Kurt were just climbing down from the carriage, and by the looks on their faces, Cooper knew that everything had gone well.

“I want to see the ring!” Cooper demanded, not even giving them time to breathe and grabbing Kurt’s hand.

“Did you tell him?” Kurt asked his boyf-fiance.

“Are you kidding?” Cooper replied instead, “He hasn’t talked about other thing but proposing to you since you decided to come here!”

Kurt smiled warmly and let Cooper keep admiring the ring.

“You know?” Cooper said, “I always wanted to see this ring, but father never allowed me.” He added.

Blaine had already filled Kurt with the story behind that ring so it was not a surprise that his future brother in-law was so interested in it.

“He gave me the matching ring for Arianna...she left with it, though, so we will never see them together again.” He said, still admiring the ring.

“I remember the ring Coop and they both were beautiful.” Blaine said.

“They still are, Lamb.” Cooper said, finally releasing Kurt’s hand. “I believe a huge congratulation is on its way?” He teased. “Welcome to the family, Kurt!” He said, embracing Kurt in a very brotherly like kind of hug.

“Thanks, Coop.” Kurt said, all blushed.

“Come here, Lamb!” Cooper said, now hugging Blaine. “I’m so happy for you, little one!” He said, showing his excitement. “I wish you both the best! And since mother and father are going to scold me for monopolizing the newly engaged couple I think it’s better if we enter, they have a whole fancy lunch waiting for you inside.”

“Did-did they know?” Kurt asked carefully.

“The whole palace knows, Kurt. This man of yours is not exactly the most discreet one. He had been planning this for weeks, to this point I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire city already knew.”

“I don’t think the entire city knows, Coop, do not exaggerate.”

“I am not exaggerating, Lamb. News around here spread like wildfire.” Cooper said, “I’m sure that by the time we make it to the dining hall, half the servants will be sharing the good news.”

Both Blaine and Kurt looked at each other, suddenly very aware of all the prying eyes that were looking at them with happy smiles on their faces.

“See?” Cooper said, following both their gazes. “But don’t worry, everyone is happy, this is a time for celebration! Now, let’s go!” He said, grabbing both Blaine and Kurt from the shoulders and pushing them inside the palace. “It’s time to meet the in-laws, Kurt!”

Kurt nodded, but deep inside, he was already freaking out. He was just wishing that the Anderson’s gave him the same kind of welcome Cooper had given him, because if they did, then he would already feel right at home.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt came back to his body, he had the biggest smile plastered across his face. His time at Bellezza had been simply the best. He had got engaged, made love for the first time, met his future family in-law, and lay down in bed with his fiance before coming here.

The meeting with his future in-laws had been amazing, and they had celebrated the incredible news with a lot of wine, music played by none other than Cooper, and amazing food. Pamela, as Kurt had expected, was the reason why Blaine was who he was. She was the epitome of beauty, sweetness, warmth and joy. Kurt thought that if there was someone who could represent all of what Bellezza was, then that was its Queen.

Kurt was literally in cloud nine, still unable to believe all his happiness. He rubbed his eyes to get rid of the sleepiness and something cold brushed against his face. His ring. Smiling, he looked at it and watched the small sapphires shining with the soft rays peeking through the blinders. It was so beautiful— simple, yet elegant, just the way he liked them.

“Kurt?” Burt questioned, he was not sure if his son was really back, or if he was hallucinating.

“Hi, dad!” Kurt greeted him excited. He couldn’t hide all the flood of feelings he had inside. A lot of things had changed in the last few hours and he hadn’t even had the time to think about them. Including the change in his V status, which he thought he would never lose.

“You look different…” Burt pointed out. “Happy.”

“I am, dad! I am very, very happy and I have something to share with you.” Kurt said, clearly excited.

“Do I really want to know?” Burt asked hesitantly.

“Yes…I got engaged!” He said, flashing the ring.

“You what!?”

“Blaine proposed and I said yes! Look! Isn’t it the most gorgeous ring you’ve ever seen?”

Burt’s eyes opened widely. He was stunned, but the way Kurt was smiling was so overwhelming that instead of scolding him for making a decision like that without thinking about it thoughtfully, he just embraced his son and whispered into his ear, “I wish you all the best”

The words came out a bit broken, Burt was trying not to cry because now he was sure of one thing...he was losing his son.

o-o-o-o-o

Back in Bellezza, Blaine was having the usual post-dinner wine with his father, brother and Ray, but this time his mother had joined them. They were still high in excitement about the engagement and Blaine couldn’t stop bouncing in his chair.

“Sweetheart, calm down.” Pamela said, placing her hand on her son’s knee to prevent him to keep moving it up and down.

“I can’t, mother. I’m way too happy!” Blaine said, with that huge smile that hadn’t left his face since Kurt had said yes.

“We know,” His mother said, “But you’re going to have a heart attack if you don’t calm yourself. Why don’t we start to plan the Engagement Ball instead?”

“Good idea, mother!” Cooper exclaimed excited. “We can invite all the family and I could invite Charlotte to rush things with her.”

“Excellent idea, my son!” Richard added, “And your uncles and aunts will be so pleased when they receive the invitation. All the family will be thrilled with these news, Blaine.”

“You two will be what everybody will be talking about for the next couple of weeks.” Pamela clapped excited.

“Ray, do you think you can make a decent set of fireworks in such a short notice?” Blaine asked, “Kurt loves fireworks.”

“Don’t worry, Blaine. You two will have the best set of fireworks Bellezza has ever seen.” Ray said with a smile, “You leave that to me, I’ll take care of it.”

“Perfect!” Blaine smiled, “Now, mother...what do we need? How can I help? I want this to be perfect!”

Pamela smiled warmly and along with the rest of the family, they began to plan the Engagement Ball. They were so lost in all the planning, that neither of them noticed when Arnold, the King’s servant, entered the library.

“Your Majesty?” He said, clearing his throat.

“Yes, Arnold?”

“Ambassador Smythe and his son are here.” Arnold informed.

“What are they doing here?” Both Cooper and Blaine exclaimed at the same time. It was never a good sign when the Smythe’s arrived uninvited and much less, in such late hours.

Richard looked at both his sons. “I called them.”

“Why?” Blaine asked.

“Because…” The King said, standing up from his chair. “There’s still a marriage arrangement that we have to dissolve.”


	28. Chapter 28

The following day, when Kurt returned to Bellezza instead of finding Blaine waiting for him on the other side of the bed, he found Ray; the old _itinerante_ was seated at the coffee table, making some notes in a large parchment.

“Hi, Ray.” Kurt said, sitting up and looking around. “Where’s Blaine?”

“Hi, Kurt.” Ray replied, folding the parchment and putting it safely inside his cloak. “Blaine is attending some business. How’s everything back in your world? How was the trip?”

“Fine,” Kurt replied a bit confused, _what business could his fiance be attending?_ He didn’t know, but he knew his master was acting weird. He was like trying to distract Kurt from the fact that Blaine was not in his chamber this early in the morning. “Is something strange happening? You’re acting weird.”

Raymond sighed. “Yes...Rinaldo and Sebastian Smythe were here last night.”

“What!?”

“Richard invited them.”

“What for? I mean, I know it’s none of my business who the King decides to invite to his palace, but-” Kurt trailed off.

“In fact, believe me or not, it is your business, and Blaine’s for that matter.” Ray said, “He called them to, well...to dissolve the arranged marriage pact they had.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, and since they now know about your engagement, it’s safe to say that practically the entire Kingdom already knows about it. News travel fast in here.”

“Really?” Kurt questioned.

“Yes…also, Blaine and his parents asked me to inform you that from now on you’ll have a serving-maid at your disposal, her name is Eloise. You’ll meet her later with the Queen, apparently she’s the daughter of the Queen’s serving-maid, so it’s a trustworthy person. However, I’ll talk to her in some minutes just to make sure.”

Kurt didn’t reply. He didn’t know what to say, he never expected his life to change so much just because he had got engaged, but now that he thought about it, it was kind of obvious that things were going to change. He was engaged to a Prince, and soon he will be one too.

 _‘Crap a Prince!’_ Kurt thought to himself. He hadn’t thought about the outcome of marrying Blaine. Though if he was honest, he didn’t care that much. He always dreamed of becoming part of some royal family, though he never thought his wish would actually come true.

“Also, last night the Queen proposed to throw an Engagement Ball in both your honor and will take place this weekend, so you’ll have to find a way to stay past midnight this Saturday since you can’t suddenly disappear from your own Ball.”

“God! A lot of things happened in just a few hours.” Kurt said, exhaling a bit exhausted of processing everything. “And don’t worry, I already told my dad the whole truth about me and he told the rest of my family, so I won’t have a problem staying here.”

“Well, that's good to know because we’ll have to be very careful during these days. A lot of people will be here, and we don’t want anyone suspecting that you are not who we told them you were.”

“Doctor Lombardi’s grandson?”

“Exactly…it’s not like-”

“Oh, God!” Kurt suddenly exclaimed, interrupting whatever Ray was about to say. “You said that the Ball will be this weekend, right?” He asked, when realization hit him. “Do you know what that means?”

Ray shook his head. “Do you already have plans in your world?”

“No! This will be my first Ball ever, Ray! What if I make a fool of myself?” Kurt asked, already freaking out. “What am I going to wear? How am I going to act? Oh, God! I have to ask Blaine to teach me how to act properly, and Gosh! There are a lot of things to do!” Kurt said, standing up from bed, and grabbing his Bellezzan clothes; suddenly in a rush to start with the infinite list of things he had to do and learn before Saturday.

“Don’t worry about your clothing, Kurt. The Queen already asked for the royal tailor. He will manufacture a whole wardrobe proper for the fiance of Bellezza’s youngest Prince. I’m sure you will love it and...yes, there’s a lot you have to do and learn for the Ball, but I’m sure you’ll do just fine. You are a natural...you were born to be a Prince, so don’t worry that we all are going to help. The Ball will be perfect and everything you always dreamed of.”

“You think?”

“I’m sure, and we’ll take care of it, don’t worry. In fact, the Queen wants you to help her with the whole Ball planning, she wants this to be exactly as you want it.”

“Really?” Kurt asked, excited. He loved to plan things. He had never planned a Ball, but he had planned weddings his whole life, so he was sure that a Ball wouldn't be so difficult.

“Yes, she’s expecting you at the Grand Salon right now. But before...there’s something else I need to tell you first.”

“What is it?” Kurt asked, while he got dressed. He didn’t want to leave the Queen waiting for him so long. She was nice and Kurt had loved her the instant they had looked into each others' eyes, but she was still the most powerful woman in the entire Kingdom.

“Since the party will be this weekend, well…” Ray hesitated.

“What?” Kurt asked, rushing the old _itinerante_ to say whatever he wanted to say.

“Rinaldo asked the King if his son could stay in the palace for the remainder of the week.”

“What!? Sebastian will be staying here?” Kurt asked alarmed.

Ray nodded. “He is already staying here.”

“Why?”

“Well, they said that in hopes that Sebastian and Blaine could at least become friends. But I think they left him here just to try to sabotage your engagement.”

“Where is he right now?” Kurt asked, determined. If Sebastian wanted to sabotage his engagement, Kurt was not going to allow it or else he would stop calling himself Kurt Hummel.

“With Blaine in the stables.”

o-o-o-o-o

Sebastian was flirting and Blaine knew it. The boy had been leaning over and bending his body in suggestive ways the whole time Blaine had been showing him the palace. Now they were in the stables, and by request of his father, Blaine had to go riding with him before lunchtime.

“The horses are over here.” Blaine informed, guiding the honorary guest to the main stalls where the family horses were resting.

“Okay, lead the way.” Sebastian said, smirking at him. They were already dressed with some riding clothes and Blaine knew that Sebastian had been ogling him the whole time. “So, Blaine…where is your fiance staying?”

“Here in the palace.” Blaine replied, trying not to say much about Kurt. Not because he didn’t want it, but because he knew that the Smythe’s had some suspicions about Kurt’s true identity.

“All by himself?” Sebastian asked alarmed. It was improper for the young to stay in palaces or foreign households without a chaperon or a serving-maid. “I supposed he has at least a serving-maid with him, right?”

“Of course,” Blaine replied quikcly. Although that had been something they had just solved that same morning. In fact, Blaine was hoping that Ray had already informed Kurt about his new serving-maid — or shadow, as Blaine called them — or else his fiance was going to be very surprised to find a servant following him everywhere.

“And his family?” Sebastian questioned, his intentions were clear, he wanted to know as much as possible about Blaine’s fiance.

“He doesn’t have a lot of family. In fact, he just has his grandfather, Doctor Edward Lombardi from Padavia, and some aunts. They will be here for the engagement party, so you’ll meet them soon.” Blaine said, while he opened the door of Snowflake’s stall.

“What a beautiful horse.” Sebastian said, caressing the animal’s back and admiring his beauty.

“Yes, he’s a beautiful horse.” Blaine said, petting his horse. “But come here, you can ride one of the other horses, my brother just got a new one, so you can ride his old horse.” Blaine said, walking to the next stalls placed at the end of the line. But Sebastian had already set his eyes on a particular horse.

“Is that a palomino?” He asked, pointing to the stall next to Snowflake’s, where Pavarotti seemed to be having a nap.

“Yes, it is.” Blaine said, looking at Pavarotti with tender eyes.

Sebastian got closer and looked at the animal. “Well, your horse is beautiful, but this one is magnificent. Can I ride this one instead?” He asked.

Blaine was about to say no because that horse belonged to his fiance, when a familiar voice coming from the entrance of the stables, broke the silence.

“He doesn't like to be ride by strangers.”

Blaine turned around and smiled broadly at Kurt, who was making his way to where they were standing. Sebastian, on the other hand, took the time to look at Kurt from head to toe. Analyzing every inch of him. It was the first time they got to see each other and met in person, even though Kurt already knew who he was and how he looked like thanks to his spy abilities.

“So, you must be the famous Kurt, right? Nice to meet you.” Sebastian said, politely extending his hand to greet Kurt. “My name is Sebastian Smythe.”

“Kurt Hummel.” Kurt said, taking Sebastian’s hand and immediately clasping one arm around his fiance’s waist.

“And I assume that this is your horse then?” Sebastian questioned, looking back and forth between Pavarotti and Kurt.

“It is...a gift from my fiance.” Kurt said, emphasizing the word fiance, just in case Sebastian couldn’t see the ring Kurt very deliberately was displaying while innocently moving the fingers from his left hand.

Blaine was a little flushed. It was clear that Kurt and Sebastian were having a contest, and Kurt was clearly claiming his territory; the message was clear, _‘Blaine is mine, back off, you Smythe!'_ And Blaine couldn’t deny that he liked it. It made him feel cherished and important for Kurt.

“Well, you have a very good taste, Blaine…” Sebastian said, and Blaine just smiled in response. “In horses I mean.” The Smythe boy added, clearly showing his distaste for Kurt.

“I like to think that I have a very good taste in everything, Sebastian.” Blaine said, while Kurt tried with all his will not to roll his eyes at their guest. He knew he couldn’t lose his temper, so he took a deep, deep, breath and tried to relax because, deep down, all he wanted to do was to punch this guy’s face and maybe break his nose in the process.

“Are you joining us for the riding, Kurt?” Sebastian asked.

“I would love to, but I have some things to check with Blaine’s mother about our engagement Ball.” Kurt said, and he wasn’t lying. He had things to check with Pamela about the Ball, and although he would have love to stay there and check on his fiance, he couldn’t. He was still a _itinerante_ and Sebastian could notice the lack of shadow and that would be a catastrophe. Ray had warned him to be extremely careful with Sebastian around the palace.

“Have you talk to my mother already?” Blaine asked, looking at Kurt and giving him a sweet smile, the ones he had reserved just for him.

“Yes, before coming here...we were checking some things about the Ball, but then she made some plans for lunch and I came here to inform you.”

“Which plans?” Blaine asked, curiously.

“She invited your friends over to the palace, they will be here for lunch.”

“Jeff and Trent!?” Blaine exclaimed excited. He had told them all about his plan to propose to Kurt as soon as the latter was back from his supposed vacations to Amerighi, but they still didn’t know it had already happened.

“Yes, the entire city already heard the rumors, so your mother thought it was okay to invite them, so we could celebrate with them too.”

Blaine momentarily forgot that Sebastian was there with them and he spoke directly to Kurt. “They are going to kill us for not telling them earlier! Did I ever tell you that Trent called our engagement even before we started dating?”

Kurt shook his head, delighted by the fact that Blaine seemed to have forgotten that they were not alone, since he was holding him very close and affectionately against his body.

“The day after the parade he told me, _‘you’re going to marry that man.’_ I guess he was right.” Blaine said, smiling with heart eyes.

Kurt smiled warmly and very deliberately, since he was very aware that Sebastian was still looking at them, left a soft kiss on Blaine’s lips causing Sebastian to clear his throat.

“I guess we’ll have to thank him for that one day.” Kurt said, still pretending to ignore Sebastian. “I have to go back to your mother, but have fun…okay?” He said, pointing to Snowflake.

“We will.” Blaine replied with a smile.

Looking back at Sebastian, Kurt added, “-and we will wait for you both for lunch.”

“Thank you.” Sebastian replied, although he didn’t look at Kurt. He kept his eyes fixed on Blaine.

Blaine didn’t notice it, and just nodded, leaning over to kiss Kurt again, “See you later, okay, my love?”

Kurt nodded, smiling at his fiance one more time. “Yes.” He said, walking away. “Nice to meet you, Sebastian.” He just yelled, on his way out of the stables.

“Likewise.” Sebastian replied uninterested. “So…” He added, looking at Blaine, who was still starring at the hall from where Kurt had just left. “Do you care to show me which horse will I be riding? Since apparently I can’t ride this one.”

“Of course.” Blaine said, a bit distracted. “Follow me.”

o-o-o-o-o

The carriage pulled over in the palace’s curb and almost immediately, two young men climbed down, tripping against each other while trying to be the first one to be out.

“Stop pushing me!” One of them exclaimed. “You’re ruining my hair!”

“Your hair was ruined the day you were born, Jeff.” Trent replied, pushing him again.

The two boys started to playfully fight against each other, until a voice coming from behind the carriage tried to stop them.

“Boys! Boys! There’s no need to make such a scene in front of the servants.” Cooper, who was approaching them, said.

“Hi, Coop! We were just playing!” Jeff informed.

“What a primitive way to play.” Cooper said, winking at them. “I haven’t played like that in years...Blaine used to be my favorite punching sack. One day I was really into it and he got a bruised eye for three weeks.”

The two boys laughed, quickly exchanging pleasantries with the older Prince.

“Where’s the newly engaged happy couple?” Trent asked, while they made their way inside the palace.

“Well, the Lamb is entertaining our guest, and Kurt is with my mother. They are inseparable since yesterday. They hit it off right away, you’ll see.”

“Which guest?” Jeff asked intrigued.

“Sebastian Smythe.”

With the mention of that name both boys made the good fortune gesture. A Smythe was always a bad omen.

“Oh-uh...that can’t end good.” Trent whispered.

“Don’t worry, we have them under control. The Smythe have been neutralized...for now.” Cooper reassured them. “But, come on! Let’s go take a nice glass of wine before lunch, have you guys seen my armor collection?”

And although they both had seen it multiple times, thanks to all the times they had sneaked into the palace, they both said, “No.” At the same time

“Then, come on! You’re going to love it!” Cooper said, guiding them inside the palace.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt and Pamela were fully immersed in the organization of the Ball. Many people, mostly servants of the palace, were entering the Grand Salon, carrying crates with decoration and furniture, while Kurt and Pamela instructed them where the tables would be and which decorations they would be using and which not.

“What do you think about this set instead of this one, sweetie?” Pamela asked Kurt, who had momentarily got distracted with something he had spotted while watching through the glass wall.

“Excuse me?” Kurt replied, turning around to look at whatever Pamela was showing him. “I’m sorry, Pamela, I was hmmm...distracted. What did you ask?”

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” She inquired, but Kurt didn’t reply.

Following Kurt’s silence, the Queen looked through the glass wall and saw what Kurt had been looking at just a few seconds ago.

At the far end of the gardens two figures were riding around one of the fountains. It was Blaine and Sebastian who seemed to be enjoying their time together.

“Don’t worry about Blaine, he knows how to act around him. He’s just being polite, he loves you and just you.”

“I’m not worried about Blaine.” Kurt replied sincerely. “I know him, and I know he loves me as much as I love him, is Sebastian the one that worries me. He’s so…” Kurt said, trying to find a word that could describe him the best.

“Haughty?”

“Yes!” Kurt agreed, “And he was flirting with Blaine when they were on the stables! I saw him, and I can’t help but feel uneasy about it.”

“He’s instructed to do so, Kurt.” Pamela said, rubbing Kurt's arm with motherly tenderness. “The Smythe’s aren’t happy with the dissolution of the arranged marriage. It’s obvious they’ll try to find a way to ruin this engagement. But don’t let them.”

“I won’t, it’s just that I don’t know why, but I really don’t trust that Sebastian.”

“Neither do I...but you won’t have to worry about him all week, I already planned a schedule to keep him busy and away from Blaine for the rest of the week.” She said, smirking mischievously. “I planned some visits to the town and surrounding islands, and Cooper will be escorting him, so Blaine and you will have plenty of time to be together and enjoy your engagement before the Ball. And after that, well...he will be back in Remora and everything will go back to the way it used to be, well without you hiding from us.”

“Thank you, Pamela.” Kurt said, smiling at his future mother in-law with gratitude.

“Don’t thank me, Kurt. You’ll soon become a son to me too, and it’s the least I’d do for any member of my family.” The Queen said, giving him a sweet smile. The ones that made you feel like nothing bad could happen.

“Well, as a future son, I couldn’t be more grateful to have you all as my family. You’re amazing, Pamela. You truly are.”

o-o-o-o-o

Sebastian and Blaine were still riding around the palace. Blaine wanted this unnecessary bonding time to be as short as possible, but somehow Sebastian had managed to make it last forever.

“It’s a shame we’re not getting married in the end.” Sebastian suddenly said. “Imagine how our lives would have been together. I’m sure we would be doing rides like this one in Bellezza, Remora and in our home...Fortezza. I heard it’s a beautiful city during the spring.”

Blaine just smiled politely; he didn’t know what Sebastian expected him to reply.

“But seriously, if you ever get tired of that boy, just go to Remora. You’ll always be welcome there.” Sebastian added, clearly flirting in full force.

“Sebastian…” Blaine said, trying to be as polite as possible. “I’m with Kurt, okay? Stop with the flirting game. It’s not going to work, I love him very much.”

“I know, but I’m not talking about love, Blaine. Love is not always the be-all end-all...there are other things that you need in order to have a good marriage.”

“I’m well aware of that, Sebastian, and I’m even more sure that Kurt covers all those things, thank you for your concern anyway.”

“Anytime, Blaine, just keep in mind that I don’t mind sharing, okay?” Sebastian said, smirking at him. “We could really have a lot of fun together. The good, private and indecent kind of fun.” He added, looking suggestively at him.

“Well, that’s never going to happen. I love Kurt very, very much.”

“There’s no way for you to know that, but as you wish...my offer will always be there.”

Blaine rolled his eyes and made his horse to turn around, he was clearly tired of this kind of inappropriate conversation.

“It’s time to go back,” He just said, pulling Snowflake’s bridle and directing him back to the palace; suddenly he just wanted to get back home and to Kurt as soon as possible.


	29. Chapter 29

The week flew away and Kurt couldn’t be happier. Back in Lima the New Directions — his Glee club — had won the Regionals competition and that had assured them their pass to Nationals — aka, the most important competition between Glee clubs in the country. Meanwhile in Bellezza everything was ready for the Engagement Ball. The whole town, and maybe the country too, were immersed in a state of never ending celebration in honor of the youngest Prince upcoming nuptials.

It was still Friday in Bellezza and both Kurt and Blaine were very nervous. They knew they would have the whole town looking at them tomorrow and Kurt was still unsure about the Ball, not for the Ball itself, but because he had never been in a Ball before and he was afraid to make a fool of himself in front of his future family.

Kurt was aware that everybody was coming; Blaine’s entire family from all Talia would be there. And if Kurt wasn’t nervous enough with that, he just had to think that all the Smythe’s were attending too, and he became a nervous wreck.

They were walking around one of the gardens after a nice riding around the palace — Kurt’s new favorite outdoors activity. The sun was above them, warming them with its yellows rays. It was another perfect day in their lives despite the nervousness about the upcoming Ball. Kurt rested his head on Blaine’s shoulder and just enjoyed the stroll.

“I want to travel to your world tonight.” Blaine suddenly said.

“You do? Why?” Kurt asked, raising his head to look at his fiance directly in the eye.

“Because I have to formally ask you father permission to marry you.”

“What!?” Kurt asked, trying not to laugh. He was about to say that the idea sounded like from another century, but he thought about it better. Because whether he liked it or not, his fiance was from another century, and soon he would be too.

“Don’t look so shocked. It’s what I have to do.” Blaine said, in all seriousness.

“Okay, if that’s what you want, I don’t have a problem with it.” Kurt said.

“Thank you,” Blaine said, leaning over and kissing him deeply.

They boys got so lost in the kiss that they didn’t notice the black shadow that had been looking at them the whole time hidden behind some bushes.

o-o-o-o-o

Sebastian entered the room they had assigned for him at the Anderson’s palace and immediately ran to the desk, asking his servant for his writing set. The old man took a wooden box out of a trunk and handed it to him. “Here it is, my Lord.”

Sebastian took out his quill and immediately started to write a quick note for his father.

_“Dear father, do you remember the story you told me about the men with no shadow? I met one and you won’t believe who he is. All I can tell you is that he’s here in the Anderson’s palace. What should I do? Regards, Sebastian.”_

Sebastian folded the parchment and placed a wax seal with the Smythe’s Coat of arms in it to seal it.

“Take this to the palace’s messenger and tell him I need this letter to be delivered to my father in the Remora palace today. It’s a matter of life and death!” He said, urging his servant to run to do what he asked him to do.

“Right away, my Lord.” The man said, walking away and closing the door behind him.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt was with Pamela Anderson at one of the small offices, they were looking at some fabrics for the last minute changes in the lining they would use for the Ball, when Blaine entered the room looking for his fiance.

“There you are!” He exclaimed, the moment he spotted Kurt. “I was looking for you...after our riding lessons you left me to die alone in the sword field!” He complained.

“I’m sorry, B, but fighting is not for me...even less with a sword. Besides, I had to help your mother, do you like this one better or this one?” He said, showing him two pieces of cloth, one grey and the other one blue.

Blaine crooked his head a little. “Hmmmm, the blue one?” He chose tentatively.

“Excellent choice!” Kurt approved, and Pamela smiled in agreement too.

“I’ll order some servants to make the proper changes right now.” Pamela said.

“I thought everything was ready.” Blaine said, a bit confused.

“It was, but then Kurt had this amazing idea for the ceiling decoration and I loved it, so we’re changing it and-”

“Okay, okay I get it.” Blaine said, interrupting his mother. “I’m sure that now it will look even more amazing, but I’m going to steal my fiance now.” He said, dragging Kurt out with him, while Pamela just laughed at the silliness of her son.

“I think my mother is in love with you.” Blaine told Kurt, when they were outside the room and making their way through the hall.

“Is it just me, or are you getting jealous of your own mother?” Kurt asked, trying not to laugh.

“No!” Blaine exclaimed, “Well, yes.” He confessed. “But just because she seems to entertain you more than me with all her Ball planning ideas, her pretty dresses and all that shining jewelry.”

Kurt couldn't help it and he burst out laughing. “Oh, B! Sometimes you’re so silly.” He said with tenderness. “And just for the record, I spend time with her because you’re always busy taking lessons and she happens to have an excellent taste in everything. God! Have you seen her wonderful wardrobe?”

Blaine pouted and Kurt kissed the expression away from his face. “I promise to spend more time with you for now on, okay? What about a lifetime together? Are you okay with that?”

Blaine smiled and nodded immediately, kissing Kurt’s neck — his new favorite kissing spot.

“Blaine…” Kurt breathed out, aware of his fiance’s intentions and the fact that they were in the middle of a hall.

“Let’s sneak out of the palace.” Blaine suggested.

“It’s getting dark, B, we won’t have time to get back in time and you have to be ready to see your future father in-law.”

Blaine pouted.

"What!?" Kurt exclaimed. "It was your idea."

“I know, but I want to be just with you, so why don’t we go to my chambers — soon to be yours too — and we claim a terrible headache so they don’t bother us until tomorrow?”

Kurt blushed crimson, but nodded frantically. Knowing beforehand how much they had been enjoying the alone and very private time they had been spending together since they got engaged.

o-o-o-o-o

When Burt knocked on Kurt’s room, the last thing he expected was for Blaine to open the door. He hadn’t seen the boy since, well...since Kurt started to travel there instead. He was wearing his usual charming smile and some clothes that looked like if they had come out from a medieval movie.

“Blaine! It’s nice to see you.”

“You too, sir. How have you been?”

“Fine, and you?”

“Fine, sir, hmmm Kurt is taking a quick bath. He wanted to be presentable for when we came down.”

“Oh.” Burt said, looking around the empty room, clearly trying to find any indication of improper behavior, but the room was spotless as per usual. “Did you guys just arrive? I mean you?”

“Yes, sir, we want to hmmm talk to you formally. I mean, I want to, but I’d like to do it in front of your wife and Finn.”

“Okay, yeah.” Burt said, “Then I guess we will see you downstairs. You’re having breakfast with us, right?”

“Yes, sir. I’d be a pleasure.”

“Okay, then don’t take too long...we’ll wait for you two.”

“Thank you, sir.” Blaine replied, and Burt turned around and walked down the stairs.

Just when Blaine was taking a seat at the edge of the bed again, Kurt emerged from the bathroom already changed in some of his best Lima clothes.

“Is it weird that I don’t feel comfortable enough in this kind of clothes?” Kurt questioned Blaine, spinning around to show his attire. “I think that that old fashion of yours is really growing on me. For example...don’t you think this pants would look better if I were wearing a jerkin instead of a vest?”

“You always look good, my love, no matter what you’re wearing.”

“Well, thank you, but clothes are important, B, and I think that very slowly I’m becoming a Bellezzan.” Kurt said, with a sweet smile playing around his lips. He had just noticed the way his fiance’s eyes had lit up with that thought.

“Soon you’ll be one.” Blaine said, closing the small distance between them and lacing his arms around Kurt’s waist.

“I know...and to be quite honest, I can’t wait! Can you imagine us walking around town hand in hand? Eating those delicious cakes we tasted in one of the islands, or maybe at Trent’s father’s bakery...those muffins are addictive.”

“We’ll do all of those things Kurt and even more...I’ll take you to all the Kingdoms of Talia so you learn to know all the cities. We will travel a lot and discover new places together. Then, when Cooper has to take the crown, we will take over another city and rule it together. Maybe Fortezza or Giglia...those are the prettiest cities after Bellezza and Remora, of course.”

“Did you ever picture yourself as King, and never leaving Bellezza?”

“Sometimes...when I was younger, but then when I started to grow all I wanted was to get away from the palace and know the world, so if you ask me if right now I picture myself as King then the answer is no. I picture us…” Blaine said, leaving a soft kiss on Kurt’s cheek. “As some very uncommon rulers. Always traveling, always discovering...would you like that?”

“I’d like anything as long as I’m with you.” Kurt replied sincerely.

“Then, we’ll have a very happy life together.” Blaine stated. “Now let’s go, your family is already waiting for us. While you were taking your bath, your father came and he said they’d wait for us to have breakfast. We can talk to them afterwards, do you agree?”

“Yes.” Kurt said, giving Blaine a quick peck on the lips, just because he could. “I agree.”

o-o-o-o-o

When Blaine came back to his body, fortunately it was still dark, so he’d have some hours of actual sleep. After having breakfast with Kurt’s family, and formally asking Burt permission to marry Kurt, they had enjoyed a very sweet family time and then Kurt had asked him to go with him to where his mother’s grave was, and they had left her some flowers. It had been a very special moment and Blaine still felt a bit moved by it.

After that Kurt had practically kicked him out of his world, telling him that he didn’t want a tired fiance the next day, since he wanted them to dance all night long. Blaine had very reluctantly agreed, and deep down he was grateful because now that he was back in Bellezza, he felt the tiredness taking over his body and without noticing he fell asleep; the warbler pin now resting on his night table.

o-o-o-o-o

“B, woke up.” Kurt whispered, sweetly poking his fiance. When Kurt arrived to Bellezza he found him still sleeping like a baby. Something very unusual of him.

“Hmmmm.” Blaine protested in his sleep.

Kurt couldn’t help but smile all warmly at the sight of his soon to be husband. He looked so young when he was sleeping, so vulnerable. His head was a mess of curls and he was clung to a pillow, like a Koala to bamboo. Kurt couldn’t help but imagine when instead of a pillow, Blaine were holding him instead like that every morning.

“Come on, sleepy head, it’s time. Your serving-maid has already knocked twice since I arrived here.” Kurt said, now leaning over to leave a trail of kisses around Blaine’s jaw and neck.

“That feels nice…” Blaine murmured still sleepy. “But I’m still tired.”

“I know, but we have to get ready, we have a very busy day ahead of us. Our first Royal event together.” Kurt said, and he couldn’t hide the excitement and anticipation in his voice, and that finally did the trick and woke up Blaine.

“The first of many.” Blaine replied, finally opening his eyes.

“Hi, there...good morning, B.” Kurt said, giving Blaine his now mandatory morning kiss.

“I like waking up next to you even when you technically aren’t sleeping here...yet.” Blaine said, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleepiness.

“Soon, B...very soon.”

“A couple of months that will be like a year for me.” Blaine said.

Back in Kurt’s world, after having the talk with Burt, they had agreed that first, Kurt will be traveling permanently to Bellezza as it had already been stipulated (until Kurt graduated from high school in a couple of months) and subsequently the wedding would be taking place some days afterwards. Kurt and Blaine had still to check the schedule with the King and the Queen, but Kurt was hopeful it could be in the same weekend. That way he wouldn't have to wait too long, to formally be with Blaine.

“It’s just ten weeks, Blaine. I’m sure you won’t even feel them. Besides, we will be busy planning our wedding!”

Blaine just smiled and grabbed Kurt from the shoulders to bring him closer to his body. “Come here!” He said, making him fall into his chest and embracing him tightly while kissing him in every available part.

“Behave…” Kurt teased, when he felt Blaine’s hand trying to remove the now multiple layers of Bellezzan clothes. “Your serving-maid will be here any minute now and I have to sneak back to my room. We don’t want the servants murmuring about us before the wedding.”

“But-” Blaine complained.

“Tonight, okay?” Kurt suggested. “After the Ball...I could always stay more time. My dad already knows I won’t be back early anyway.”

“Fine, at night it will be.” Blaine said, finally releasing him.

“Awww don’t be such a baby, we will have alone time, I promise you. But now we have to control ourselves.”

“I know you’re right, but I can't help it. This lack of self control it’s totally your fault.”

“And, may I ask why is that my fault?” Kurt asked, trying not to laugh.

“Because look at yourself. You’re irresistible and I’m a weak man. I could never get enough of you.”

“Well thanks for the compliment, but I could say the same thing about you. I mean look at that.” Kurt said, pointing to Blaine’s body. “You’re my kryptonite.” He said, leaning over to give him a last kiss.

“Your what?” Blaine asked confused.

“I’ll explain later!” Kurt said, laughing. “Now I have to go...see you in a few to have breakfast...I love you!” He said, pulling the candle-holder at the left side of the far wall and making a door appear.

“I love you too!” Blaine yelled, when the door closed, leaving him alone in his chambers.

o-o-o-o-o

Inside one of the most elegant rooms in the palace, the tailor had just finished making the last adjustments to Kurt’s gown. He would be wearing one of his new attires courtesy of his soon to be family in-law.

Kurt looked at the man reflecting in the mirror quite not believing it was actually him. He looked like one of those Princes from all those movie adaptations of his favorite fairy-tale stories. He was wearing a dark blue doublet with silver buttons and stripes above a white cotton shirt, and under a matching cloak that went up from his shoulder to his calves. The still-new polished boots he was wearing were of black leather and made his legs look longer and toned.

“You look great, my Lord.” The tailor said, when Kurt did a quick spin in front of the mirror to admire his clothes.

“Thank you, you may go now.”

The tailor made a quick bow and walked out the room.

Kurt exhaled loudly still contemplating the strange man in the mirror.

“Well, royalty suits you, Hummel, it really suits you.” Kurt told to himself.

“I agree.” Said a voice that was coming from one of the secret doors.

“Ray, you scared me!”

“I’m sorry, it was not my intention. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Are you more relaxed, or do you need me to give you a tonic to calm your nerves.”

Kurt contemplated the idea of the tonic for just a minute because he was extremely nervous. In just a few minutes he would be descending the main stairs of the palace along with Blaine. They were going to be formally presented as a couple to the royalty and nobility of the Kingdom, and some special guests from the rest of the Kingdoms of all Talia. “No, I think I can manage myself without any tonic, but if you see that I start at any moment to make a fool of myself, please don’t hesitate to stop me.”

“Don’t worry, Kurt, you’ll do just fine. Just take deep breaths and follow Blaine, he won’t let you make a fool of yourself. He’d rather expose himself before you, so don’t worry.”

Kurt nodded and like a cue, Blaine walked into the room.

“Oh, dear God!” He whispered, clearly out of words at the sight of his handsome fiance.

Kurt turned around and lost the ability to speak too. Blaine looked stunning. There were not enough words in Kurt’s vocabulary to describe how Blaine looked. He was wearing similar clothes to Kurt’s, but instead of blue they were all black making him look mysterious and sexier at the same time.

“You-” Kurt managed to say, “You look incredible.”

“I could say the same of you, although incredible doesn’t even start to describe the way you look tonight.” Blaine said, still checking Kurt out.

“You both look stunning.” Ray chirped in, “And since I’ll be escorting you both when you descend down the stairs, it’s safe to say that my lack of fashion style won’t be noticed. All the looks will be on you two.”

Blaine and Kurt smiled at each other.

“Ready?” Blaine asked.

“Ready.” Kurt said, nodding and grabbing his fiance’s hand.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt never thought he would meet so many people in one single night, but he did. After they descent from the stairs and were formally introduced as a couple, Blaine along with the King and the Queen had introduced Kurt to all the Anderson’s family, which extended beyond what Kurt had first imagined. If he met twenty future in-law aunts and uncles they were few.

The noble men and women around Talia were also more than he originally thought. It was true that the Smythe’s were the second most powerful family in the Kingdom, but Kurt discovered that the Ripole, Dimichi and Bellini still had an important say and will in Talia’s important businesses.

When the pleasantries ended, Kurt thought that he and Blaine would finally have some time to grab a glass of wine and maybe dance, but he was mistaken. It was time to present their regards to the special guests.

By request of the Queen, to this Ball, they had not only invited Jeff and Trent, but their entire families too. Kurt couldn’t help but smile warmly when Jeff’s Nonno greeted them and said something about his cakes never telling lies, recalling the time they had visited them and he had given them the love cake. Kurt finally met Trent’s brother and both, Kurt and Blaine finally met Charlotte, Cooper’s new girlfriend.

Kurt couldn’t help but notice how Ludovico Ripole kept looking at Cooper and Charlotte’s direction. He looked pleased with the way his goddaughter was smiling at something Cooper had whispered into her ear. Kurt also realized that even though they knew Cooper was just courting her to help his father, he didn’t look bummed to be doing so, on the contrary, he looked quite smitten by her.

“May I have this dance?” Blaine asked out of nowhere, making Kurt to look back at him. He was still distracted looking at Charlotte and Cooper.

“Yes, you may.”

Blaine escorted Kurt to the middle of the room just when a new piece started. Kurt had already practiced with Ray and Blaine some formal dances during the week, so he planted himself very confident in the middle of the room, with all the looks fixed on them.

Blaine made the first reverence and Kurt just followed his lead; next thing he knew, they were swirling around the room in the most graceful way — there was no doubt for anyone witnessing the dancing display that they were the perfect match.

o-o-o-o-o

After some time, the King told them that it was time for the public announcement, so Kurt and Blaine followed him to one of the balconies of the palace, which had a view to a large square where people gathered every time there was an important event in the palace. The King made a short speech about love and commitment, to later present his son and Kurt as an official couple, announcing that the information regarding the wedding would be shared soon in an official Royal announcement.

“And, now what?” Kurt whispered to Blaine.

“When he signal us, we just walk outside and wave to the crowd. Are you nervous?”

“After meeting all the people inside the palace?” Kurt joked. “No, I’m not.”

“Did I tell you how lovely you look tonight?”

“Just like one hundred of times, but you can tell me again, I like it.”

“Well, you look lovely, and I love you.” Blaine said, kissing him. “Very much.”

“And I love you too.” Kurt replied, suddenly feeling like the happiest man in the world, which was probably true, since nobody but Blaine was in the same state.

“Your Highness, my Lord…” A servant said, “It’s time.” He added, motioning to the open balcony door.

Blaine grabbed Kurt’s hand firmly and together they stepped outside, waving for the first time as a couple to the people of Bellezza.

o-o-o-o-o

Rinaldo, who was looking at the happy couple, scowled, showing his distaste. He didn’t like the Anderson's, much less anyone related to them. But this Kurt boy had ruined his plans so he disliked him the most. _How come a boy like him had managed to catch the Prince?_ The boy was slightly attractive that much Rinaldo could admit. But he knew that what really did the trick was the air of innocence with which this boy presented himself. Innocence was, in his opinion, the most powerful aphrodisiac. And unfortunately, his son, Sebastian, didn't have that quality.

"Remind me again, why are we letting this to happen?" Francesco, the Pope, asked his brother. "You know we could have easily eliminated the boy."

"I know, but remember what I shared with you." Rinaldo said.

"What your son claims he saw?" Francesco asked. "Are you sure? I mean, he could have lied. We know your son likes the Anderson boy. It could have been a desperate attempt to get him."

"I know...But I don't think he lied. I mean, look at him. He's not from here, of that I'm sure, brother." Rinaldo said. Ever since receiving that letter from his son he had started to take a new interest in the future Prince of Bellezza.

"We have to make sure, Rinaldo." Francesco warned him. "We can't take the risk..."

"I know..." Rinaldo said. "Enrico!” He called his servant, who was standing just a few feet away.

“Yes, my Lord?” The servant said, rushing his way to where his masters were standing.

“I want you to follow that boy day and night. I want to know everything he does, where he sleeps, with whom he talks, everything! Become his shadow if you have to.” He said, “I’m sure he’s in need of one.”

"Yes, my Lord."

Rinaldo and Francesco looked at each other and laughed. This new — and unexpected — page on the story was starting to write itself and if they were correct then, maybe having lost the crown wasn't that bad. _Who would want a Kingdom when they could have the world?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this is the end of this update. We still have 9 chapters to go so I know that a lot of things can happen. But don't worry, I promise to post the new update soon. You won't have to wait that long to figure out the ending of this story. The next three chapters won't be as cheesy as this one so prepare yourselves ;)


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!! First of all I want to apologize for this extremely long delay. Some personal stuff got in the way and I wasn't in the mood for writing, but I'm back and here's the new update. Like I warned in the previous chapters this one is a bit angsty. I won't say much, but don't worry, it's not that bad and by the end of CH33 you'll have all your answers. Anyway, there's a time jump so we're a few days away from Kurt's graduation and the wedding!!! Enjoy and check the notes at the end of the update 'cause I have news regarding the last 2 updates.

Kurt woke with a start. His alarm clock was ringing violently in his ear and for a moment he couldn’t remember why he had set it in the first place. Then it came back to him; he had set that alarm months ago, even before traveling for the first time to Bellezza. Today he was supposed to go shopping for what he used to think would be his grand big day — his high school graduation.

Now it seemed almost impossible after what he had been through earlier in the year, but he had been so caught up in the events in Bellezza that it had slipped from his mind. With the responsibilities he acquired as a _itinerante_ and then with the engagement and the wedding planning, he had to admit that he hadn’t been giving his graduation any thought, even though he’d been dreaming of that day his whole life.

He had always thought that his high school diploma would be like getting a Visa to visit some other country, a country in which he could be free. And although his original plan had changed — New York was now long forgotten — he had got his ticket out of hell after all. And even better, because now he would be able to live the life he always wanted with the love of his life, the man of his dreams...Blaine.

And now, there he was, a few days away from his graduation and his wedding — three and five days away to be precise. His time in Lima and in this world was limited; to this point, all his family already knew that he was attending a ' _very exclusive college’_ in Italy, and leaving after graduation _'to have time to get used to that new life,'_ though those close to Kurt new better. He was moving to a different world, to Bellezza.

Meanwhile in the city of beauty, the whole town was ready for the big event; Kurt had been in charge of almost every single detail of their wedding, and along with Blaine, they had chosen almost everything — except for the food and wine that had been all Pamela’s doing.

“Kurt?” Finn knocked on his door, “Are you here yet?”

“Come in, Finn.” Kurt yelled back.

His brother made his way in, he was still wearing his pajamas and his hair was a mess. He had clearly just jumped out of bed.

“What is it?” Kurt asked.

“Did you program my phone to sound this early in the morning?” Finn said, raising his phone to let Kurt know he had just deactivated the alarm.

“Maybe?” Kurt replied. Although he knew he had done it purposely. His plan months ago included bringing Finn with him to get his opinion.

“Are you insane? It’s 7am! I should be still sleeping!”

“I’m sorry, I programmed both our phones months ago so we could go buy stuff from graduation and for our lives afterwards, though I can’t take anything with me now, not even my money so maybe we could actually go and just buy you some things for when you’re in college?” Kurt said suggestively.

“At 7am? No, we can go like at 3 or 4pm, but not this early!” Finn protested.

“Shopping is not a two hours trip Finn, it requires time.”

“For you, bro, but for me it’s a less than 45 minutes trip.”

“It’s the last time we’re going to do something like this together, Finn.” Kurt said, knowing full well the impact of those words.

“That’s not fair, dude!” Finn said; his expression had changed completely. “Not fair, I’ll be ready in one hour.” He said, walking away and slamming the door behind him.

Kurt felt a little bad for using his impending move against his brother. But he knew Finn would thank him for it one day, so he let out a small mischievous smile and got ready for his shopping day with his brother.

o-o-o-o-o

Burt watched through the living room window when both his sons arrived from the mall. They were laughing loudly while downloading a lot of bags from Finn’s truck. They looked happy and for a moment Burt wished he could always see them like that, together and happy. But he knew that his dream would never come true. It couldn’t be.

Kurt, his biological son, would be going forever to that weird world in less than five days and there was nothing Burt could do about it, but support his son’s decision.

“Oh, Lizzy…” He whispered, while still watching through the window. Thinking what his late wife would be thinking of all this.

And Burt already knew the answer. She would be thrilled to see Kurt so happy, so in love and so hopeful for a future life. But for Burt everything was very difficult to handle. He knew what he had to do to save his son, but the selfish part of him, wished he could still protect Kurt like when he was a little boy.

“But he’s a man.” He whispered to himself. _‘You can’t do that anymore…you have to let him go, to save him.’_ He thought.

“Hi, dad!” Kurt exclaimed, as soon as he opened the door. “You won’t believe what we bought! There was a clearing and we got a lot of clothes for Finn and some for you!” Kurt said, putting all the bags in the couch.

“We even bought some stuff for my mom.” Finn said, putting the rest of the bags.

“I’m glad, you two had fun. Are you hungry? Carole made some chicken.”

“Thanks Burt, but we ate at the mall...I was starving and dragged Kurt with me to eat some burgers.”

Kurt just nodded.

“But let’s take all this out!” Finn exclaimed, “I want to show my mom her new clothes.”

“You want some help?” Burt suggested.

“Sure, dad!” Kurt exclaimed, making some room so his dad could help them.

And together the three men spent some of their last days living all together unpacking clothes, laughing, and sharing some quality time.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt arrived to Bellezza that same day — technically still the day before in the city of beauty — he found Blaine's room empty. Usually his fiance was there waiting for him, but today the bed was empty and the covers were cold, so that only meant that Blaine must have woken up very early in the morning.

Since they got engaged, the King and Queen had assigned Kurt one of the rooms so he could pretend to be staying there while he made the permanent move. However, Kurt never traveled from there, he preferred to do it from Blaine’s room. After all, before he made the travel back to Lima they enjoyed some _‘alone time,’_ and the room seemed to be a fitting place.

Standing up, Kurt noticed the small note placed above Blaine’s pillow.

_“Good morning, my love. I have a meeting with my father and brother to decide the fate of the two men involved in the assault he suffered a few months ago, I’ll tell you all about it later. I’ll see you at breakfast! Did you know that I love you? No? Well I do...and very, very much. Can’t wait to see you! With Love, Blaine.”_

Kurt smiled at the note. “I love you too.” He said, whispering and sneaking out of the room to get to his chambers. He knew his new serving-maid, would be there any minute now.

As soon as he entered, Kurt changed into his Bellezzan pajamas to keep the illusion that he had slept there and not just arrived. Just when he was getting into bed, he heard the peculiar knock on the door.

“Come in.” He said, already knowing who it was: Eloise, his serving-maid.

“Good morning, my Lord. Your Highness, Prince Blaine, asked me to inform you that he had an audience with Your Majesty, King Richard, so he won’t be in his chambers if you go looking for him. I’ll prepare your bath right away, or would you like to have breakfast first?”

“Did he eat already?” Kurt asked, pretending to stretch in bed.

“No, my Lord, nobody has had breakfast yet.”

“Then, I’ll wait for him. Hmmm, Eloise?” Kurt asked.

“Yes, my Lord?”

“First, stop calling me Lord. I’m not a Lord, I’m just Kurt. Second, is it possible to have breakfast in the East courtyard? The one with all the tulips and that beautiful gazebo?”

“Well, nobody ever eats outside, but I guess there will be no problem. I’ll ask the other servants to set everything immediately, would you like me to inform your fiance to meet you there?”

“Yes, please.” Kurt said, smiling and standing up from bed.

“Okay, my Lord.” Eloise said, making Kurt to roll his eyes. “I’ll just prepare your bath real quick and your breakfast will be ready when you’re dressed.”

"Thank you."

Eloise just nodded and entered the attached bathroom. Kurt followed her and stood by the door while the young girl made sure that the water was in the right temperature.

“Why do you keep calling me Lord? It’s been months, Eloise. I really don’t like it when you call me like that. It makes me feel old.”

“I’m sorry, my Lord, but we are servants and we’re instructed not to create any bond with the Royal family.”

“But, you do know that Blaine and I are different, right?”

The girl just nodded; she was always very reserved.

“Okay, well maybe you could call me Kurt when we’re alone and my Lord or whatever when there are other people around us?” Kurt suggested.

“If that’s what you want.”

Kurt nodded satisfied.

“I never asked you Eloise, but how old are you?”

“14 years old my lo-I mean, Kurt.”

“You’re very young, why are you working here?”

“They are training me to be one of the cooks. Almost all my family works for the Anderson's family.”

“Really?”

“Yes, my father is one of the gardeners, my grandmother works with the Queen and two of my aunts work in the kitchen. My cousin works in the stable and-”

“Paolo is your cousin?”

“Yes, have you met him?”

“Yes, he’s an amazing boy.”

“Yes, he is. He wants to be a member of the King’s guard someday.”

“I’m sure he will, as I’m sure that soon you’ll be cooking here too.” Kurt said with a smile.

“Your bath is ready.” Eloise informed.

“Thanks!” Kurt exclaimed, but later corrected himself. “I mean, thank you. God! I have to get use to speak in a formal way.” He said, more to himself.

“I’ll take out your set of clothes, what would you like to wear today?”

“Hmmm,” Kurt hesitated for a minute. Almost all his clothes here were still new and he wished he could just wear them all in one single day. He loved them. “That new black gown with the silver cloak.”

Eloise just nodded and left Kurt alone in the bathroom to take his bath. Kurt sighed and with delight he undressed himself and got into the warm water.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine, Cooper, Richard and Raymond were discussing the sentence for the King’s attackers. The room was very tense, both Cooper and Blaine were suggesting the gallows, but Ray and Richard thought that a lifetime sentence in prison was better.

“Sons, you two have to understand that sometimes death is not the be-all end-all in some diplomatic decisions.” The King said.

“I understand that, father,” Cooper interfered, “but those men tried to kill you. Don’t you think they deserve the same fate?”

“No, because they were not the headmasters behind the plan, Cooper.”

“But they were willing to do it, father, that servant poured the poison in your wine. He was going to commit murder.” Cooper fought back.

“I agree with my brother.” Blaine said, “It requires to have a very cold heart to do that. You shouldn’t be so consequent with them, they didn’t have mercy on you.”

“Yes, father!” Cooper exclaimed, “You shouldn’t show them mercy either. Send them to the gallows!”

“Cooper, Blaine…” Ray said, using his diplomatic tone. “Don’t you both think that a lifetime in prison is enough punishment for them? Think about it, they would never get to see their families again and-”

“But that’s not enough!” Cooper said, “He tried to kill the King, not just any man in Bellezza.”

“We know that, but also think about this.” Ray added, “If we keep them here in prison, don’t you think that _‘their’_ people would try to set them free before they can reveal the names we know are behind this whole assault?”

“Or better yet, they will kill them themselves.” The King added.

“Oh.” Both Cooper and Blaine exclaimed at the same time. They hadn’t thought about that possibility.

“See?” Ray pointed out.

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad.” Blaine said, looking at his brother with some questioning eyes. “Does it?”

“No, in fact if you think about those possibilities it even sounds reasonable, what I don't understand is why you two didn’t start with that? Why don’t explain the whole plan in the first place? Is like if you two were just testing us and-” Cooper bit his tongue. “You were testing us, weren’t you?”

“Yes, my son, don’t forget that you both are in training to take this crown some day and I have to make sure than when the time comes you both are ready, and this experiences will help you with that.” Richard said.

Cooper and Blaine just looked at each other, and in that moment there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” The King said.

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty.” Arnold, the King’s servant, said. “Mr. Hummel requested to have breakfast in one of the courtyards and Your Majesty, the Queen, decided to join him. I’m here to inform you that they will be waiting for you all at the East gazebo for breakfast.”

Blaine smiled pleased. Of course only Kurt would think of something like that. That’s why he loved him, he was unique and amazing.

“Inform them that we will be there in a minute.” The King said.

Arnold nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

“Where were we?” The King asked.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt walked out of his room already dressed in one of his finest clothes and started to make his way to the East courtyard. Eloise had just informed him that the Queen had loved the idea and had decided to join him, so now the whole family would be having breakfast outside the palace. Something that according to Eloise had never happened before.

He was just making his way down the first stairs when one of the multiple servants of the palace stopped him.

“My Lord! My Lord! Wait, please.”

Kurt turned around and looked at the man. He hadn’t seen him before, but yet, he was still not familiar with all the employees.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, my Lord, but the tailor of your wedding suit is here and requested an audience with you, my Lord. He’s waiting at the tailoring room.” The servant informed him.

“Oh, thank you and, could you please tell him that I’ll meet him after breakfast?” Kurt said, not wanting to make his soon to be family in-law to wait for him.

“I believe it's an emergency, my Lord. He said you two must check everything right away.” The servant said.

Kurt hesitated for a minute, but then agreed. “Okay, then...lead the way. I’m still not familiar with all the rooms and halls.” He said. It was true he knew how to move himself around the palace using the secret passageways, but not the actual halls.

The servant nodded. “This way, my Lord.” He said, turning to his left with Kurt following right behind him.

Kurt followed the man until they got to the tailoring room. When Kurt entered, he found the room completely empty; there was not even a trace of someone being there in the first place. Confused, he turned around to question the servant, but he couldn't even move because next thing he knew the man was putting a piece of cloth in his mouth and quickly tying his hands behind him.

Kurt tried to fight, but the man was bigger than him and had caught him by surprise. Desperate, Kurt tried to kick him, but missed. The man quickly put a dark sack on Kurt's head, blinding him. He heard some noises coming from the room and froze. He didn’t need to see what was happening to recognize the familiar sound of the secret door cracking open.

“Is it him?” A new voice asked.

“Yes.” The servant, who now Kurt assumed was really not a servant, said.

“Then hurry!” The new voice said, and Kurt tried to resist to the attack, to fight back. But now there were two of them and they were stronger.

Kicking and trying to scream through the piece of cloth, Kurt felt when the men carried him and pushed him inside the secret passageways. Unable to do anything else, Kurt just hoped that Blaine could help him, because he didn’t know why, but he had the feeling that he wasn’t going to make it out alive this time.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine, Cooper, Raymond and Richard arrived to the East gazebo and found only Pamela waiting for them there. She was smiling pleasantly while drinking her morning tea.

“Good morning, mother, where’s Kurt?” Blaine asked, immediately noticing that his fiance was still not at the table.

“He hasn’t come down yet, honey, but this idea he had is splendid! I don’t know why we haven’t done anything like this before. It is so nice to drink tea with the sun warming your face. It’s so fresh.” She said smiling.

The four men smiled at her and took their respective seats — Blaine making sure to leave an empty chair next to him for Kurt.

“Would you like some coffee or tea, Your Highness?” One of the kitchen servants asked Blaine, who immediately turned around distracted.

“What?” He asked. He wasn’t paying attention, he was waiting for Kurt.

“Would you like some coffee or tea, Your Highness?” The servant asked again.

“Not yet. I think I’ll go check on Kurt.” Blaine said, standing up. “We’ll be right back,” He informed his family, and walked away.

After some minutes Blaine entered what was supposed to be Kurt’s room and just found Eloise cleaning it up.

“Good morning, Your Highness.” Eloise said, as soon as she noticed him.

“Good morning, hmmm is Kurt still here?”

“No, Your Highness. He left the room almost half an hour ago, didn’t Mr. Caraway inform you all that he and your mother would be waiting at the East gazebo?”

“Yes, he did, but Kurt is not there.” Blaine said, feeling a strange pinch in the pit of his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.

“Perhaps he’s in your chambers, Your Highness.” Eloise suggested, noticing the worried expression on the young Prince’s face.

“Yes, perhaps. Thank you.” He said, rushing his way to his room.

He opened the door of his chambers and frowned. The room looked empty too. Kurt’s notebook was at Blaine’s nightstand, as per usual, so he could not possibly have gone back to Lima.

“Kurt?” He asked, knocking on the bathroom’s door before opening it. But the bathroom was empty too.

Worried, he rushed back to where his family was waiting for them and informed them of Kurt’s absence.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m sure he’s somewhere around the palace. Maybe he thought you were still busy and decided to do something to lose some time.” Pamela said, reassuringly.

“Arnold!” The King yelled.

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Please, look for Mr. Hummel around the palace. Tell him we’re waiting for him to have breakfast.” The King said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Right away, Your Majesty.” Arnold replied.

“Don’t worry, son. He’ll be here any minute now. I’m sure he's riding his horse or something. I’ve seen him ride, he’s a natural.” Richard said, offering his son a reassuring smile.


	31. Chapter 31

Twenty minutes passed and Kurt hadn’t arrived yet. The worried faces in the table started to get more notorious and when Arnold arrived alone, all their suspicions were confirmed. Kurt was, strangely, not in the palace.

“Your Majesty, we didn’t find Mr. Hummel in the palace. The guards informed me that he hadn’t left it either, so we don’t know what could have happened.” Arnold said, sounding nervous.

“Something must have happened to him.” Blaine immediately said, he had known it since his fiance had not been at the table with his mother, but Blaine had tried to remain positive.

“Bring every single one of the servants, Arnold. All of them!” The King said.

Arnold immediately nodded and ran away.

“Don’t worry, son.” Richard said, looking at Blaine’s direction. “I’m sure he’s fine.” He said determined, but the look he gave to Ray said otherwise.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt didn’t know where he was. He knew he had traveled by water after leaving the palace because he felt the movement of the _gondole_ underneath him, but he had no idea in which part of the city he was, he could be anywhere. He was sure they were still in Bellezza because of that characteristic odor the canals of this city had, and he could listen water dripping nearby — another peculiar characteristics of the city of beauty.

He couldn’t see or even move, he had his hands and feet tied to a wooden chair, and the room was in complete silence. He wasn’t sure if there was someone else with him, but he tried to untie his hands moving them up and down, but they were too tight and it only hurt him.

After minutes of trying, he heard some footsteps approaching, so he went still and pretended to be asleep.

“Wake up!” The same man that had pretended to be a servant of the palace said, shaking him a bit violently.

Kurt straightened his head up and tried to mumble something under the cloth.

“I’m sorry, Your Future Highness, but I couldn’t understand a word you said. Could you please repeat it to me?”

Kurt mumbled again, but he knew the man couldn’t understand.

“I’m sorry, but I still didn’t understand.” The man said, “but you’ll get your chance to speak. Now, all you have to do, Your Future Highness, is listen to me carefully, understood?”

Kurt nodded to keep the man talking. If he wanted to have a chance to make it out alive, he had to find out what this was all about in the first place.

“Do you know why you’re here?” The man asked.

Kurt shook his head again.

“Well, it turns out that my masters are very interested in some information that only you can give us. We’ve been following you for weeks, just waiting for this moment so, are you willing to cooperate?”

Kurt nodded frantically.

“Very well,” The man said, removing the sack from Kurt’s face and the piece of cloth from his mouth.

“Help! Help! Help! Somebody help me!” Kurt yelled, the moment he felt the cloth falling from his mouth.

“Scream all you want, Your Future Highness, we’re at the end of the road where nobody can hear you. Now, tell me...who are you?”

Kurt instead of replying spat on him.

“You’re not helping yourself, Your Future Highness. Look…” The man said, walking to a table that was at the far end of the room where just a single candle light was lit on, and grabbed a knife from there. Kurt had seen those knives before, or better said daggers. It was one of those weapons made with the bones of the Merlino fish. “If you want to make it out alive from here then you better behave, understood?” The man said, pointing the dagger against Kurt’s neck.

Kurt nodded.

“Let’s try it again, shall we?” The man said, “Now tell me, who the hell are you? And don’t lie!”

“My name is Kurt Hummel, grandson of Doctor Edward Lombardi of Padavia. I’m Master Raymond Armati’s apprentice and I’m engaged to Blaine Anderson, Prince of this Kingdom.”

“That’s who they say you are, but we want the truth...tell me about your people.” The man said again, still pointing the dagger against Kurt’s neck.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kurt said, although now he had an idea. This man had said _‘his people,’_ so that only meant he was referring to the _itineranti_. “My only people are the ones I already mentioned. I don’t have many family just my grandfather. My parents died when I was young.” He lied.

“Wrong answer!” The man said, putting the piece of cloth back in Kurt’s mouth and blindfolding him again.

“I think I’ll give you some time alone to think about your answer, and you better tell me the truth this time or else, I may lose my patience and you won’t make it to your wedding this weekend.” The man said, walking away.

Kurt waited until he didn’t hear the footsteps anymore and tried to untie himself again. Now he knew why he was there and he suspected who were behind all this. But what he couldn’t understand was, _how had they found out?_ They had been very careful when Sebastian had been staying in the palace some weeks ago, and the few people who knew the secret of Kurt’s real identity would never say a thing. He was very confused, but of one thing he was sure about...he had to get away from there.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine had never seen all the employees of the palace together, but now that all of them were standing before him, he was surprised. They were more than he originally expected.

“I want all of you who have seen Mr. Hummel today to report me of all his activities. As you already know he strangely disappeared from the palace and we’re worried for his well being. Now, Agatha and you…” The King said, pointing to Kurt’s serving-maid. “You two are always with my son and Mr. Hummel in the morning. Did you notice something unusual today?”

“No, Your Majesty,” Agatha immediately said, “Since Your Highness, Prince Blaine, was up very early I did not have the chance to see Mr. Hummel this morning, Your Majesty, but Eloise informed me of his request to have breakfast here and I set everything, Your Majesty.”

“And you Eloise, did you notice something unusual?” Raymond asked.

“No, when he finished getting ready, he left the room and I stayed there to clean everything up until Your Highness, Prince Blaine, came in asking for him.”

“Did any of you see him today?” Raymond asked to the rest of the employees.

A lot of the servants, members of the guard and general employees shook their heads as a response, and some others whispered soft, _‘No sir’s.’_

Ray turned around to face the King, and just when they were about to exchange some words, a tiny voice broke the silence.

“I don’t know Mr. Hummel, but I saw something strange.” A little boy, around 8 or 10 years old, said, taking a step aside from the group.

“Who are you little boy?” Raymond asked, carefully.

“His name is Thomas.” A man said, putting a protective arm around the boy. “He’s my son and we deliver food for the horses, signor.”

“What did you see boy?” Richard asked, directly to the boy.

Thomas looked at the King with a little spark of fear running through his eyes. Not every day the King himself directed a question to you in person.

“Nothing bad is going to happen to you or your father, young man. On the contrary, if you help us I can assure you that you both will be rewarded.” The King said, noticing the look on the young boy’s face.

“I-I-” The boy hesitated, he was still afraid of the King. He was a very intimidating man.

Blaine noticed that this was not going to work if his father kept handling the situation, so he took a step forward and knelt in front of the boy. “Hi, Thomas. My name is Blaine.” Blaine said, grabbing the little boy’s hand. “You see? Mr. Hummel is my fiance, and I’m afraid something bad has happened to him, if you tell us what you saw perhaps I’ll be able to find him in time before something bad happens to him, could you help me?” Blaine said.

Thomas looked at him and nodded. “When my father was unloading the trolley, I saw two men dressed in black cloaks carrying a man into a _gondole_. The man was kicking, but he was tied and had something over his head...like a sack. That’s why I couldn’t see his face. They didn’t come out of the palace, but from one of the side tunnels next to the delivering door where we were.” The boy told Blaine.

Blaine immediately stood up. “They kidnapped him!” He exclaimed alarmed. “They used one of the North secret exits!” He said, looking at his father and Ray. “They have him, father!”

“Calm down, my son, we’re not sure the man this young boy says he saw is actually him.” Richard said, trying to stay calm.

“Who else could it be, father? He’s not here and this young boy saw two men carrying a man who was tied and kicking. It must be Kurt, father. They took him!”

Ray immediately nodded. He was almost certain Blaine was right. “Blaine, did Kurt have his notebook with him?”

Blaine shook his head, “No, he left it in my chambers.”

Ray cursed in silence. That was certainly going to complicate everything. With his notebook, Kurt could have just practice _itineranzza_ and disappear from his captors, but without it then everything just got more complicated.

“I’ll go see if I can find something using my mirrors.” Ray said, walking away.

“I’ll go search him!” Blaine said, but Cooper stopped him.

“Wait, Blaine! Where are you going? You don’t know where they took him, if it’s him, of course.” Cooper said.

“I don’t care! I’ll search every corner of this Kingdom if I have to! I’ll search in all Talia!” Blaine said, but Cooper didn’t let go of him.

“Father,” Cooper said, “We have to look for clues about the kidnapping here first, that could help us know where Kurt might be.”

“You’re right, my son.” The King said, “Arnold please, organize all the servants. I want you all looking for any clue that could help us find Kurt. And please make sure this man and his son get a reward for the information they gave us.” The King said, pointing to Thomas and his father.

“I want to help!” Blaine said, watching all the servants organizing in small groups to look for the future Prince of Bellezza.

“I think it’s better if we wait at the library for some news, Blaine. You’re far too nervous right now and you’ll just interfere with the search.” Richard said.

“Listen to father, Blaine.” Cooper said, still holding his brother.

“Yes, sweetheart. Your father is right. Let’s go to the library and wait for some news.” Pamela joined the idea.

“But-” Blaine started to complain.

“Please, Blaine,” The King said, “It’s the smartest decision right now.”

“Yes, brother. Don’t worry, I promise you that we will find him. If the servants don’t find anything then I’ll go with you wherever you want to go, okay?” Cooper said, and with that Blaine finally nodded.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt didn’t know how much time had passed, he was still blindfolded and the sack above his head was very thick so he didn’t even know if the candle he saw when the man first asked him questions was still on. His wrists and ankles were sore of how much he had tried to untie them. To this point he was sure he was immune to pain.

Lost in the silence Kurt started to listen some voices getting louder and louder, so he tried to pay attention to them.

“I already told you, we can’t kill him yet. The masters want him alive for some time that’s why they sent us that package. Remember that the boy is the only one that can reveal the secret of his group of freaks.” One of the men said. Kurt was almost sure it was the same that had pretended to be a servant of the palace.

“They said _‘don’t kill him yet,’_ but they didn’t say anything about using rough methods of persuasion if he didn’t cooperate.” The other man said, and Kurt swallowed slowly. “Just to make him remember while we kill him.” He added.

The men reached the room in which Kurt was, and Kurt took a deep breath, suddenly afraid of the rough methods the other man could infringe on him.

“Hello again, Your Future Highness.” The man, who had previously questioned Kurt said, removing the sack from his head. “I hope this time alone has helped you think about the answers we want to hear. Meet my friend.” The man said, pointing to the other guy. It was tall and twice as toned as the first man.

“Nice to finally meet you, Your Future Royal Highness.” The other man said, making a mocking curtsy.

“Now, I’m going to remove this,” The first man said, touching the piece of cloth that was still in Kurt’s mouth, “and I hope that you have the right answer to the questions I asked you earlier, or else my friend here is going to help you remember.”

The other man nodded and clashed his fists together, while the fake servant of the palace removed the piece of cloth.

“Listen,” Kurt said, as soon as he could speak again. “I think you have the wrong person, I’ve been thinking about this and I don’t know what you want from me. If this is about money, I’m sure that my family can get you whatever you want and I’m sure that my future family in law will help too. Just ask.”

The two men started to laugh loudly.

“This is not about money, we have more money that we could wish for.” One of them said.

“Then what do you want? Who sent you?” Kurt asked.

“The only ones authorized to make questions here are us, Your Future Highness.” The first man said, “Now, tell us about your group of freaks. Who’s the leader?”

“What group of freaks?” Kurt asked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m not a very patient man so you better start speaking or there will be no wedding,” The other man said laughing.

“Too bad,” The first man added, “my masters already sent a very pretty wedding gift.”

“Who are your masters?” Kurt asked.

“That’s none of your business, now tell me, who are you? Who is your leader?”

“Aren’t you listening to what I'm saying?” Kurt said, he was getting tired of these men. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Is that your final answer.”

“Yes.” Kurt said firmly.

“Well, I don’t like it.” The other man said, slapping Kurt hard in the face.

Kurt felt all his bones chattering together, but he turned his head to the front as fast as possible just to show his bravery. “You can kill me if you want, but you won’t get a single word from me than what I already said.”

“We’ll see about that-” The first man said, putting the cloth back in Kurt’s mouth and the sack on his face. “When you hear the bells of the church announcing your wedding and you are still here.” The man said, “I’m sure you’ll change your mind...if you’re still alive, of course.” He said, walking away and leaving Kurt alone again.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine felt that every minute he stayed in that room, it was a minute Kurt was in danger. He just wanted to go out and look for his fiance, but his family was right. He didn’t know where to start looking, but this waiting was killing him.

He was pacing around the library with his brother and mother just watching him. His father was in one of the offices talking to the guards. He was going to send the entire Royal Guard to search for Kurt in the city and the Kingdom; messengers had already been sent to the other Kingdoms to start a search in all Talia.

Blaine had just passed in front of his mother and brother for the millionth time, when the doors of the library swung open and one of the guards burst in, carrying what looked like a silver cloak. Blaine knew to whom it belonged without even have to ask.

“Your Highness!” The guard exclaimed. “We found your fiance's cloak at the tailoring room!” He said, handing the cloak to Blaine.

“Where did you find it?” Blaine immediately asked, just to make sure he had heard clearly.

“In the tailoring room, Your Highness.” The guard said, and Blaine immediately ran from the room, with Cooper, Pamela, and the guard following him.

Once he reached the room, he found Agatha, Eloise and two more servants there.

“Where was this exactly?” Blaine asked them.

“Here.” Agatha said, pointing to the middle of the room. “Spread on the floor.” She explained.

Blaine turned around to observe the room with more detail but everything looked fine, like if nothing had happened. He frowned confused and walked to the far end of the room, he had never used the secret door of that room, but he was sure that there must be one.

Slightly pushing the silver candlelight, the wall cracked open and everybody in the room gasped in surprise.

“For the-” Cooper exclaimed.

“The whole palace has secret passageways,” Blaine explained, “You wanted to know how I had managed to sneak out of the palace so many times? Well, this is how.” He told his brother, not caring that his mother and five other servants were there.

Cooper just stared at him with complete shock in his face, so Blaine ignored him and instead looked at the guard. “Please, bring Signor Armati here immediately, and ask him to bring one of his special lights. He knows which ones I’m talking about.” Blaine said.

The guard nodded and left the room. Blaine looked at the rest of the servants and asked them to leave as well.

While Blaine waited for Ray to arrive, he poked his head through the secret door and found a loose button from what he suspected was Kurt’s doublet. He picked it up and looked at it.

In that moment Ray entered the room and looked at Blaine with some surprise. He had noticed that the secret door was open. “What happened?”

“They used this passageway.” Blaine said, “I found this.” He added, handing Ray the loose button. “I want to know where this one takes, I've never used it.”

Ray just nodded and took out one of his light-stones from his bag, placing it in his hand. The stone immediately started to glow making Pamela and Cooper to gasp again.

Ray stepped into the secret passageway lighting the path with Blaine at his side and Cooper and Pamela following right behind them.

When they reached the end of the hall, Ray and Blaine noticed that the door was cracked. Stepping outside, they all looked at the doorknob more closely.

“They forced the entrance.” Ray said, matter of factly.

“But, who would do that?” Cooper asked, but he didn’t need an answer, they already knew it. There was just one family who would risk this much without fearing that the most important family in all Talia could do to them — the Smythe’s.

o-o-o-o-o

It was late and Kurt knew it, he hadn’t exactly been counting the time or anything, but guessing by the time he had been trapped, he was sure that the night had already arrived.

The men had returned three times to ask Kurt the exact same thing, and since Kurt had refused to say the truth they had punched him several times, this time making him fall with the chair and picking him up just to make him fall again.

Now he could hear them snoring somewhere nearby, so he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He couldn’t go to sleep; first because he was sure he had a concussion due to the second fall he had had, and second because his brain was too awake with worry to even think about trying to sleep.

He was worried about everything and everyone, but who filled almost all his thoughts was Blaine. Kurt knew his fiance must be going crazy, and he couldn’t help but think what would he be doing if he were in his place.

Desperation finally hit home, and even though he had tried to remain positive during all the time he had been captive, a tear rolled down his cheek. He was trapped in Bellezza and it seemed that he was never going to get out of that place, no matter what he said. They were going to kill him there eventually or his body would give up back in Lima. _How long could his body resist?_ He didn’t know, but right now he wished he had at least said goodbye to his dad and Blaine.

 _‘I love you both.’_ He thought.


	32. Chapter 32

After they discovered the room from where the unknown captors had taken Kurt, Blaine thought they would find Kurt in a matter of hours, but it was almost midnight and they still had no news — good or bad.

Blaine kept pacing around the library while his parents and brother tried — unsuccessfully — to calm him down a bit.

“It’s getting late.” Blaine said, when Ray entered the room again. He had decided to give it a try to his mirrors one more time.

“I know.” The old _itinerante_ said, giving Blaine a sympathetic look.

Richard, Pamela and Cooper looked at each other, they didn’t know why Blaine and Ray looked so concerned about the day slipping away, they understood that it was bad not having news about Kurt yet, but even in this parallel world, they said that no news were always good news.

“Besides the obvious, why are you two so concerned with the day slipping away?” Cooper asked, deciding it was his duty to ask and voice his concern as the one who always asked the unnecessary and uncomfortable questions in the family.

“Kurt is not supposed to stay a lot past midnight here.” Blaine said.

“Yes, because his body stays in this unconscious state in his world, but his family already knows, right? So I don’t see the problem.” Cooper said.

“Yes, his family knows and probably when his father notices Kurt’s body, he’s going to guess something must have held him back in here, but-” Blaine hesitated.

“But...” Ray continued. “If they don’t have the proper arrangements there, Kurt’s body could die after some time, how much? We don’t know, each body acts and reacts differently.”

“But, isn’t that the original plan?” Cooper asked again. "Kurt staying here permanently?"

“Yes,” Ray replied. “But that’s planned, we have everything set for this Saturday not today, and besides there’s another thing.”

“What?” Richard, Pamela and Cooper asked at the same time.

“If Kurt dies here still being a _itinerante_ his body will disintegrate in both worlds and we will never see him again.”

“Has it happened before?” Cooper inquired.

“Once.” Ray whispered.

“Oh...” Cooper whispered, trying not to show an even more worried expression, but failing miserably.

o-o-o-o-o

Burt knocked on Kurt’s door, but his son didn’t answer. It was his official last day of school — without counting graduation day — and he was late.

“Kurt? Buddy? Are you okay?” He asked, but nobody replied.

Worried, he grabbed the master keys of the house and opened the door. His son was still sleeping, but Burt knew better. His son was still there in that place called Bellezza.

“Kurt?” He said, trying in vain to wake him up.

Burt sat next to the bed and grabbed Kurt’s hand. It was a bit cold, so worried he quickly put a blanket around him to keep him warm.

“Buddy, you can’t go yet, we still have some days to go.” Burt whispered, grabbing his son’s hand tightly and praying to God for his son to come back. He was not ready to say goodbye.

o-o-o-o-o

After his little breakdown, Kurt decided that he wasn’t going to give up so easily. He had gone through a lot in his life and he wasn’t going to let some stupid family with an insane obsession for power to take away from him his own happiness. If he didn’t die when Dave’s friends beat him to death, he was not going to die in here, not without marrying Blaine first.

“Hey!” He whispered, to see if his captors were really asleep.

When they didn’t reply, he tried once more to untie himself, but just like the other times, he couldn’t. Cursing, he started to think of different ways to get away, but all of them seemed impossible. The easiest one would be practicing _itineranzza_ , but without his notebook he was trapped. A bit desperate he tried again to untie himself, only hurting his wrist even more. He could feel the warm blood slipping from his wrist to his fingers and sticking to his ring.

“The ring!” He whispered surprised. Why he hadn’t thought about it earlier was beyond him. But now, he suddenly felt hopeful.

He was still wearing his engagement ring; the one Blaine had given him. That ring had made the travel back and forth between Lima and Bellezza without suffering any alteration in the past weeks. He had never thought about it, but they had managed to create a new talisman without really thinking about it.

“Thank you, B.” He whispered, trying to grasp the ring with both hands just in case, and feeling the cold silver band.

Closing his eyes, he finally allowed himself to sleep, letting all the stress and anxiety of the day to take over him.

o-o-o-o-o

The doors of the library swung open again, startling everyone inside it. Pamela was dozing in one of the couches, and Cooper and Richard were lost in some conversation while Blaine looked through the balcony window at the stars, lost in his own thoughts.

“Your Majesty, we have news!” A guard said. His voice was ragged, it was clear he had run all the way to the library just to share the news.

“What is it?” The three men rushed to ask. Pamela just sat straight in the couch.

“There are rumors of a strange _gondole_ being spotted near the death tunnel.”

“The death tunnel?” Richard asked, a bit worried. It was the most dangerous place in all Bellezza. Feared by everybody — locals and lagooners. It was a set of caves placed at the farthest end of the canals where the gangs of muggers liked to gather, and where all the crimes in Bellezza usually happened.

“Yes, Your Majesty, our captain is already preparing some _gondoles_ to go and check there for Mr. Hummel. It’s too dark to go unprepared, so that’s why we came back.”

It was true; it was past 4am so it was the darkest part of the night, just before dawn. And if that place was dangerous during the day, at night it was almost like a suicide mission to try to venture into it.

“I want to go with them!” Blaine immediately said.

“No, you’re staying.” Pamela said, standing up from the couch. “It is too dangerous there for you to go.”

“I will go, mother.” Blaine said determined.

“No, you won’t, Blaine. It’s very dangerous, they are not even sure if Kurt is there and besides, it could be just a trap to try to capture you.” Pamela said, worried.

“I do not care, mother. I won’t risk Kurt’s life. I’m sorry, but I’ll go!”

“Richard, say something!” Pamela said, noticing that she was losing the battle against his son’s stubbornness.

“Cooper…” Richard said, not looking at his wife. “Bring your sword, my son. We’re not leaving your brother alone.”

Blaine smiled triumphantly and Pamela just rolled her eyes. Apparently the Anderson’s men had already made a decision. They were all going, suicidal mission or not.

o-o-o-o-o

When the royal _gondole_ turned to the left almost at the far end of the canals, the captain of the guard ordered to stop all the rest of the vessels. He knew those canals and the city like the back of his hand, and he was sure that this was the safest spot for them to disembark.

“We will disembark right here, Your Majesty, and walk the rest of the way.”

“Okay,” The King agreed, grasping the hilt of his sword strongly. It had been years since he had ventured himself into something as exciting and risky as this. “Cooper, stay close to my back and make sure to cover me, I’ll cover your brother.” He said, instructing his eldest son.

“Yes, father, don’t worry. You’re taking to the most skilled swordsman in all Bellezza.” Cooper said, being his cocky-self.

“I know, but even the most skilled fighter can be harm if he’s not careful during a mission.” Richard said, with a serious tone. “Now, Blaine you can’t enter first, and I don’t care what you have to say about it. That’s something I simply won’t allow. So the captain here, will go first and you can go after he gives us the all clear signal, do you understand?”

Blaine nodded; he wasn’t in the mood to argue with his father. He just wanted to enter the caves and find Kurt safe and sound. The how, he didn’t care.

“Okay, captain. Then, lead the way. Tell us what to do.” The King said.

The captain nodded, and calling his second in command he started to give some instructions. Some of the men would be covering the entrance of the dungeons that lead to the caves to make sure there were empty before allowing the King and his sons to get any closer. Two teams would be checking the nearest _gondoles_ to try to find any trace of Kurt’s presence there. Another group would be guarding their vessels and finally, their best men would be following the King and the Princes. Protecting them with their own life if necessary.

“Now,” The captain yelled, “If you find any criminal who offers any kind of resistance you’re allowed to take them down, however if they don’t attack just capture them so we can take them back to the palace for further inquiring, do you understand?”

“Yes, captain!” The men yelled in unison, and the three Anderson men just nodded in agreement. It seemed like a good plan.

“We will try to get them by surprise so be as stealthy as possible.” The captain added.

They all nodded and Blaine watched with awe how all the men moved in perfect synchronization and got lost in the maze of canals.

The captain motioned Blaine, the King and Cooper to follow him, and they did what they were told to. Blaine carefully walking behind the captain of the guard with Richard and Cooper covering his back.

Blaine felt every fiber of his body trembling with anticipation the nearer they got to the caves. He knew his family was in danger and he suddenly felt a bit guilty for dragging them here, to this very dangerous place.

“Father…” Blaine whispered.

“What is it, Blaine?” Richard asked, not really looking at his son, he was looking at his surroundings, making sure nobody was going to suddenly attack them.

“I want to thank you for what you’re doing for me and Kurt.”

“Thank me when Kurt is safe and back home with us.” Richard said, they didn’t have time for touchy speeches, but he also knew that if things went wrong this was their last chance to actually say something.

“But-”

“Shhh,” Richard said, “Kurt became a member of this family the moment you decided to marry him, and I would have done this for any of you two, so now please stop talking, we’re on a mission.”

Blaine felt the urge to suddenly hug his father, but he knew that it was not the time, nor the place to do so, so he just nodded and smiled at him, giving a playful wink to Cooper who looked like he was enjoying this adventure way more than he should.

They walked for a few more narrow streets until the captain ordered them to stop. His second in command came by and with one signal he motioned his captain to enter the main dungeon, apparently it was all clear.

“We will search the first two caves, my men are already checking the other ones.” He informed the Anderson's, who just nodded and followed him.

The guard took his torch and illuminated the entrance of the first cave. Blaine suddenly felt chills running all over his body, but that didn’t stop him and he followed the captain quite closely. They entered until they reached a turn and followed it. At the far end of the cave they just found empty bottles of wine, some crates, and rats.

“It’s empty.” The captain murmured, “Let’s move to the other one.”

The nodded and followed him to the next cave. The moment the captain illuminated the entrance of the new cave, Blaine felt a pang in his chest, something told him that Kurt was there. He couldn’t explain it, but somehow he knew it.

“He’s here.” Blaine said, voicing his thoughts.

“Then, let’s go.” The captain said, pointing his sword protectively in front of him and stepping in.

They walked a few feet until they heard what sounded like an oboe concert, but it was only a man who was snoring loudly. The captain motioned one of the members of the guard to capture the man before he could wake up.

Blaine, Richard and Cooper kept walking with the captain right in front of them. They turned to the right and found another men asleep. He wasn’t snoring, but he was sound asleep too, so the captain motioned the Anderson’s to remain silent and just follow him, while his men took care of what they presumed was the second captor.

They reached the end of the cave, which looked like a small room and found nothing. There was an empty chair with ropes and clothes on the floor, and a small table. Cooper immediately reached to the table, while Blaine got near the chair and picked up the clothes.

They were Kurt’s.

“He was here!” He exclaimed, looking around trying to find if there was some other room in which they could have him locked in, but there was none. This was it.

“Are those Mr. Hummel’s clothes?” The captain asked.

“Yes!” Blaine immediately said, “But I don’t understand, he should be here.”

The captain knelt where the ropes were and said, “I think he managed to escape. There’s some flesh blood in some of this ropes, so my guess is that he untied himself.” The guard said.

 _‘Blood.’_ Blaine thought and he suddenly felt dizzy.

“Don’t worry, son, if he managed to escape, then he must be on his way to the palace. He knows the city, he will find his way back home.”

“I want to look for him anyway.” Blaine said.

“We will, my son. Nobody will sleep until Kurt is back home. Now, let’s get out of here and go look for him in town.”

Blaine nodded, but it was only then that he noticed that his brother was still near the table. “What’s on the table, Coop?” He asked.

Cooper looked up and tried not to show his worried expression, but he failed.

“What is it, Coop?” Blaine asked again, this time walking near his brother.

On the table there was a merlino-dagger, and a small glass bottle with some purple liquid inside it. Next to it there was a piece of parchment that said, _“Give this to the boy. It will kill him slowly. One drop a day until he can’t breathe.”_

“No!” Blaine whispered, feeling like if someone had just ripped his heart out of his chest.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt woke up alarmed. The notebook he had when he first fell asleep was not with him, but he still had his ring. His ring had brought him back, but that was not what had Kurt more surprised, but finding his dad crying like a baby kneeling next to his bed.

“Dad?” Kurt said, tentatively.

“Oh my God, Kurt! You’re back!” Burt said, jumping to his feet and embracing Kurt tightly. “I thought you wouldn’t come back! Your body was getting so cold and I was afraid to call an ambulance or anything I didn’t know what to do! Oh, God! But, are you okay, kiddo? Why did you take so long to come back?”

Kurt exhaled a bit tired and very quickly explained the major events to his dad. He skipped the part where his captors beat him and he hit his head hard against the wet floor, and how he almost peeled off his wrists trying to escape. He didn’t have to worry his dad with injuries that hadn't come with him to Lima.

“So, are you basically telling me that that world isn’t safe for you either?”

“Right now, it is not the safest place because I’m a _itinerante_. This has nothing to do with me being gay or anything, it’s just that there’s a family who wants to know the secrets of the time/space traveling and well...they would do anything to get it, even kidnap a future member of the Royal family.”

“So, they know who you are?”

“I guess they do, but they can’t prove it so they were trying to persuade me to reveal all the secrets of the brotherhood.”

“But you didn’t.”

“I didn’t.” Kurt confirmed.

“And, how did you escape?”

Kurt smiled and flashed his ring. “The ring Blaine gave me is a talisman in itself. I never thought about it, but just when I felt more desperate I kind of made the connection and all I had to do was fall asleep.” Kurt said, “Now I have to go back to Bellezza, Blaine must be going crazy, what time is it?”

“7pm.” Burt said, exhaling worried that his son had to go back to that state of almost-death so soon.

 _‘Oh my God, it’s already a new day too there, poor Blaine.’_ Kurt thought. “I have to go back there as soon as possible!”

“But at least eat something, your body was so cold, Kurt. I thought you were going to die any minute now. Besides, tomorrow's your graduation, you can’t stay there too long. I think you should just stay here.”

“I can’t, dad. I really have to go back. I don’t know where this ring is going to take me in the first place and I have to walk or find some sort of transportation to take me to the palace. Blaine must be going crazy!”

“I understand buddy, but if you go back in this state you won’t even make it. You have to eat something and then come back as soon as possible so you can rest.”

“Fine, but just a sandwich.” Kurt said, realizing that he was, indeed, starving. His last meal had been the peanut butter sandwich he ate before traveling to Bellezza the day before.

“I’ll go fetch it real quick.” Burt said, standing up and leaving Kurt alone.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine, his father, and brother had just returned to the palace. Blaine had hoped to arrive and find Kurt there, but unfortunately there were still no news. It had been more than 24 hours since Kurt had disappeared and Blaine felt like he was losing his mind.

They had searched the entire town after they had come back from the caves. A special group of men had taken Kurt's captors back to the palace to interrogate them, and the rest of the guard had gone with them to look for Kurt everywhere — but the young _itinerante_ was nowhere to be seen.

The captors didn't know anything about Kurt either; they were pretty surprised to find out that the man had managed to escape, so that hadn't eased Blaine's nerves. They now had his fiance's captors, but Kurt was still not with him. They were back in square one.

Agatha entered the room carrying a tray with Blaine's breakfast. He had refused to go to the dining table to eat like the rest of his family had done a few hours ago, and even though it was almost noon, he hadn’t eaten anything.

"Agatha, I told you I'm not hungry." Blaine said.

"I asked her to bring you something to eat." Pamela said, "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

"I'm not hungry."

"I'm sorry, my dear, but you'll eat something. I don't care if I have to feed you myself like when you were a baby, but I won't let you get sick. You need to be fine for when Kurt is back." Pamela said, already grabbing a piece of bread from the tray. "Come on, open your mouth."

Blaine rolled his eyes, but opened his mouth. He was hungry, but he was so worried about his fiance’s well being that he hadn’t thought about eating. _How could he even think about eating when Kurt was somewhere lost and probably hungry?_

“I can do this by myself, mother.” Blaine said, grabbing the bread and plate with fresh fruit. “Thank you, anyway.”

Pamela just nodded and took a seat next to him. Blaine ate something in complete silence. His brother was reading a book and his father was talking to some of the guards who had returned from interrogating Kurt’s captors. Ray was with him paying close attention to every word the guards were saying.

“Did you know that according to old manuscripts Bellezza was a-” Cooper was saying when the doors of the small office in which they were waiting, swung open and one of the guards, followed by Eloise and Agatha, entered the room.

“He’s here!” The man said. “Your fiance is here, Your Highness.”

Blaine stood up in a jump, throwing the tray to the floor. “What? Where?”

“He’s making his way through the main gate, Your Highness. I was doing my guarding shift from one of the towers and I saw him. I came here first-” The man was saying, but Blaine was no longer in the room. He had run and was making his way to the main gates.

He felt that every strike he took was like an endless trip, the main gate now looked so far away. But he overdue himself and ran as fast as his legs allowed him. Reaching the main gates in time to see his fiance walking in.

Kurt was just climbing the stairs, and for a moment Blaine thought he was dreaming. But he was not, Kurt was really there. His fiance looked exhausted, he was wearing his Lima clothes and his shirt was stained with blood.

“Kurt!” Blaine yelled.

Kurt looked up, and although he had walked a long distance, and he was tired as hell, he smiled and ran to his love. Blaine started to run too and in no time they were facing each other. Blaine immediately hugged him tightly and started to touch every part of his body, kissing him softly on the lips just to make sure he was real.

“Oh dear Lord, you’re here. I was so worried!” Blaine said, caressing Kurt’s face with tenderness; his fiance had a huge bruise in the right side of his face and a bit of blood in one of his lips. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, B, don’t worry.” Kurt said, resting his head on Blaine’s chest. He felt safe again.

“Come on, let me help you get inside, you must be exhausted, my love.” Blaine said, grabbing Kurt firmly and helping him get inside the palace, where Richard, Ray, Pamela, Cooper and some of the servants were already waiting.

Kurt was welcomed by an overwhelming wave of questions, hugs and kisses from Cooper and Pamela, who looked beyond relieved to have him back — the King looked relieved too, but he was not the kind of man who showed his affection that easily, but with one look everyone knew that he was thrilled to have Kurt back. That display of affection warmed Kurt’s heart, but he couldn’t concentrate in one person because they all were questioning and demanding his attention at the same time.

“Let him breathe!” Blaine complained.

“It’s okay, B, let them ask.” Kurt said, smiling at his worried fiance, who was still holding him firmly to his side.

“Let’s go sit down.” Blaine said, guiding Kurt to one of the living rooms.

Pamela immediately ordered Agatha to bring the _dottore_ so he could check Kurt, and ordered Eloise to prepare a bath for Kurt, some clean clothes and food. The King asked the rest of the servants and guards to left them alone and was only then when Kurt noticed that all his future family in-law looked as exhausted as he was.

“What happened, Kurt?” Ray asked, carefully kneeling in front of his apprentice.

“I was on my way to the gazebo when one of the servants of the palace, who I later learned it was not, told me that the tailor of the wedding suit was here. I told him that I would see him after breakfast, but he insisted that it was some kind of emergency so I followed him and well…” Kurt continued, “when I entered the room it was empty, and when I turned to question the servant he caught me by surprise and tied my hands, gagging me almost immediately. I tried to kick him, but I missed and then he put a sack on my head and I couldn’t see anything.”

Pamela gasped.

“Then I heard the secr-” Kurt trailed off.

“Don’t worry, my love.” Blaine said. “Everyone in here knows about the secret passageways, we found your cloak in the tailoring room and I figured they had used the secret entrance.”

“They did, at first it was just one, but there was someone waiting inside the passageway because the other man tied my feet and they carried me to what I supposed was a _gondole_. We traveled for some time, I guess almost an hour and then they carried me again. I didn’t know where I was, but I guess somewhere in here because it smelled like the canals and I could hear some water dripping nearby.” Kurt continued explaining, “Then they tied me to some chair and left me there for some time.”

“How did you escape?” Cooper asked.

“I traveled back to my world.” Kurt explained, and Blaine and Ray frowned confused.

“But...how?” Ray asked, “You left your notebook at Blaine’s room, we put it safely in one of my laboratory’s cabinets after you disappeared.”

Kurt smiled and just raised his hand, showing them the ring.

“The ring.” Blaine and Ray whispered at the same time.

“Yes, it kind of saved my life.” Kurt said, “Those men were going to kill me eventually. I heard them talking about it, the only thing that was keeping me alive was that their _‘masters’_ wanted to know all about-” Kurt bit his tongue.

“What?” Blaine, Ray and Cooper asked at the same time.

“They wanted to know about the _itineranti_.” Kurt said.

“They know you’re one of us?” Ray asked alarmed.

Kurt nodded. “They are not completely sure, but they suspect. They kept asking me stupid questions. They wanted to know who was our leader, how did we do it and who I really was. I told them the cover up story we’ve been sharing with the rest of the people, but they didn’t believe me and that’s why they beat me. I fell from the chair several times that’s when I hit my head.” Kurt said, softly touching his aching head. “And this,” he added, pointing now to his wrists. “I did it to myself trying to untie my hands, but I couldn’t they were too tight. And just when I was giving up I remembered the ring and I disappeared.”

“Where did it take you when you used it to come back?” Ray asked intrigued.

Kurt blushed and gave Blaine a small smile. “The Abbazia Allagata.”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand tightly.

“Interesting…” Ray said, frowning while analyzing the new information.

“Why?” Cooper asked intrigued. His new obsession since he had learned about this mysterious brotherhood was to know everything about the _itineranti_.

“It’s nothing important, Cooper.” Ray said, “It’s just that now thanks to the trips your brother and Kurt had made to both worlds we will finally be able to study more deeply the origin of the talismans.”

“But right now it’s not the time to talk about that,” Pamela said, interrupting. “We have to let Kurt rest for a while. I bet he's exhausted, aren’t you sweetie?”

“Yes, my love,” Blaine agreed with his mother. “Do you want to go to your chambers?”

Kurt just nodded, because suddenly he was aware of how tired he was.

Blaine started to help him stood up, but Cooper stopped him. “Wait!” He exclaimed.

“What!?” Blaine asked, sending his brother some killing eyes.

“Kurt, did you drink anything while they had you captive?” Cooper asked, remembering that note they had found and the small glass bottle of purple liquid that Ray had later confirmed it was poison.

“No, they weren’t the greatest hosts.” Kurt said, trying to joke. But nobody was laughing, they all looked relieved. “Why?”

“I’ll explain you later, my love. Now, let’s go. You have to rest.” Blaine said, already dragging him to the stairs.

o-o-o-o-o

The _dottore_ did all kind of strange examinations. Kurt tried with all his will not to laugh at the very primitive methods of determining someone’s health; after all it was something he would have to get used to. The modernity and advanced technology haven’t been invented here yet.

“You don’t have any broken bones, Your Highness.” The dottore said, and Kurt gasped. It was the first time they had called him Your Highness for real, and deep down he liked it. “All wounds are superficial.”

“And his head?” Blaine asked worried.

“He has a concussion, but with this tonic he will be just fine.” The _dottore_ informed them. “I’ll put some ointment on his wounds to reduce the inflammation and with this bandages your wrists will heal in no time.”

“Will I still be all swollen for my wedding?” Kurt asked worried.

“Don’t worry about that, my love.” Blaine said.

“I don’t want to look like a monster B, it’s a very important day.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness.” The _dottore_ said, reassuringly. “You’ll be fine, this other tonic that you’ll take tomorrow will rush the healing process. You will be brand new for your wedding this Sunday.”

“Thank you.” Kurt said, clearly relieved.

“Now, I’ll go. Do not hesitate to send for me if you need anything else.” The _dottore_ said. “Have a great evening, Your Highnesses.”

“I’ll escort you outside the room.” Ray, who had been there the whole time too, promptly said.

While Ray and the _dottore_ walked to the door, Blaine made sure Kurt was comfortable in bed. He was sat next to him holding him tightly like if his life depended of it.

Kurt was grateful for that, he had been so afraid to never see him again that now that he was by his side, in what was going to be his home very soon, he just wanted to crawl into a ball and be held by Blaine until he fell asleep.

“I think I’ll go too,” Ray said, returning to the bed. “I still have to go and help interrogate your captors.”

“You got them?” Kurt asked stunned.

“My father sent the whole Guard to look for you everywhere, my love.” Blaine said. “There was a rumor of some suspicious _gondole_ being spotted near the death tunnel and we went and-”

“The death tunnel? Isn’t that like the most dangerous place in here?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Then, why did you go?” Kurt asked.

“We suspected you were there, and we were right. We found the chair in which they had you, along with your clothes and some other things…”

“What things?”

“A merlino-dagger, a small poison and a note. The note said that the poison was supposed to kill you slowly, that’s why Cooper asked you if you had drunk anything, we were afraid they had already started giving it to you.”

“Oh.” Kurt whispered. “They didn’t, though.”

“Well, I have to go, Kurt.” Ray said, “But before I go, I want to ask you something. The servant who took you from here was the same who was holding you captive?”

“Yes, I saw both their faces I could recognize them. The fake servant wasn’t as rude as the other guy, that other man really frightened me and he hits like a bulldozer.”

Blaine didn’t know what a bulldozer was, but it sounded pretty bad and he suddenly felt his blood boiling with rage. “I think I’ll go with you, Ray. To make sure they condemn them to the gallows!”

“We have to know more about them before we take any definitive decision.” Ray said.

“But-”

“Please, Blaine. Let us do it our way. We will make sure they pay for what they did to Kurt, but please do not interfere.”

“Yes, B. Listen to Ray, besides who’s going to stay with me if you’re gone?” Kurt asked.

“I’m sorry, you’re right.” Blaine said, embracing Kurt. “I’ll stay with you.”

Ray exhaled, clearly relieved not to have to deal with Blaine at least at the time, and took out Kurt’s notebook from inside his robes.

“I know you don’t need it anymore, since now you have a new talisman, but I thought you’d like to keep it.” The old _itinerante_ said, handing Kurt the notebook and walking away from the room.

Once the two boys were alone, Kurt snuggled closer to his fiance. Wanting to feel that warm body next to his. “For a moment I was really afraid, B. I thought I would never see you again.” He said, trying to fight back the tears, but failing.

Blaine grabbed Kurt’s face with both of his hands and wiped the tears that were now rolling uncontrollably down his face. “That would have never happened, my love. I wouldn’t have stopped looking for you. Never, Kurt. If you hadn’t traveled I would have found you. I would have found you here or in any world, Kurt. Never doubt that.” Blaine said, giving Kurt a quick peck on the lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Kurt said, sobbing and curling himself in Blaine’s arms.

“You want to sleep here a bit before you have to go back?” Blaine asked.

Kurt shook his head. “I can’t, I have to go back, my body got pretty weak there and my dad was terrified. I have to be with them these last days, besides...it’s my graduation day. I can’t be late.”

Blaine's expression changed a little with that, but Kurt didn't notice. “Okay, then sleep tight. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

“I can’t wait for the day that we don’t have to sleep in different worlds.” Kurt said, making himself more comfortable in Blaine's arms. His favorite place in the world.

“Me neither, my love…me neither.” Blaine said, placing a soft kiss at the top of Kurt’s head. Kurt hummed pleased and Blaine started to stroke his fiance’s arm with soft touches leaving a pattern of silly hearts he was attempting to draw.

Without realizing it, Kurt fell asleep and when his body disappeared, Blaine didn’t even blink. He was asleep too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this it it for now. I hope you've liked it!!!  
> We still have 6 more chapters to go and as many of you already know I was planning on splitting them in 2 updates, but to compensate you all for the delay I'm going to upload them all sometime during the weekend. I'm working on them right now (edits and stuff) and I hope to have them ready soon. So keep an eye for our last and longest update!!! See you all real soon!!!


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is!!! The last update!!! As promised, I'm uploading all the chapters, so I guess it's time to say goodbye to this story and its characters **cries**  
> This was my very first fantasy-like fic and I'm kinda proud of it. I would like to say a lot of things right now, but I'm bad at that, so I won't bore you with a goodbye paragraph that I'm sure won't make any sense and instead I'll just let you read. Please don't skip the notes at the end of CH38...I really need your opinion.  
> Enjoy!!!

Kurt never thought that a high school graduation ceremony could be so stressful. When he came back from Bellezza after the shocking situation he had gone through, he tried to catch on some sleep and set his alarm. When his phone finally started to ring a couple of hours later, very reluctantly, he opened his eyes and to his surprise, he found his house falling apart. Not literally but figuratively. His dad was freaking out because he couldn’t fix his tie, Carole was still in the beauty salon, Finn was taking a quick shower and time seemed to be ticking fast. With all the chaos around his house Kurt wished he could just go back to Bellezza. It was always less chaotic around there.

“I’ll fix your tie for you, dad, but please stop freaking out or you’re going to make me lose my nerves. Why are you so worried anyway? It’s not that big of a deal, dad. It’s just a graduation.” Kurt said, already fixing his dad’s tie and not understanding why his dad was so nervous.

“Don’t mind me, Kurt. I’m just excited. Thanks for helping me, now go and get ready for your big day, okay? It's late!”

“Okay.” Kurt replied, rushing to his room to take a quick shower and get ready for one of his big days. It was not a secret that he was now looking forward more for his wedding than for any other event.

o-o-o-o-o

Once the entire Hummel-Hudson family was ready and dressed up; together, they drove towards Finn and Kurt’s high school — the place that had been their second home for a lot of years. The William McKinley High School was buzzing with activity when Burt parked the car in one of the assigned spots. Finn and Kurt immediately climbed down and walked toward the main hall, where all the senior students were waiting in line wearing their bright red graduation gowns.

“See you inside!” Kurt and Finn yelled to their parents and got lost in the flood of red gowns and caps.

Burt nodded and when he was sure his son and stepson were inside the building, he turned around and asked to his wife, “Is he here already?”

Carole looked around. “No, I don’t think so...but he's late."

"I bet it has something to do with what happened to Kurt. Kurt said that he looked very tired too, like if he hadn't slept at all."

"He probably didn't...do you think he's going to come, then?"

"Yes, he said he would be here."

"Okay, then maybe we should wait in here. We don’t want him to get lost.”

“Good idea.” Burt agreed.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt had never felt as nervous as he was feeling in that precise moment. They were standing outside the McKinley auditorium, just waiting for their cue to walk in and take their places before the ceremony started. He could hear all the chattering happening inside. Families meeting each other, some others just saying hello, and proud fathers and mothers talking about their sons or daughters graduating from high school.

“Are you nervous?” Mercedes asked him.

“Yes.” Kurt confessed.

“Wait till you’re in front of the altar.” Mercedes whispered into his ear. She was one of the few selected ones who knew the whole truth.

“I might faint.”

“Right now?”

“No, when I’m in front of the altar, I might faint.” Kurt clarified. “But I don’t want to think about that right now, one step at a time.” Kurt said, taking a deep breath.

“Good thinking.” Mercedes said, smiling at him.

In that moment Coach Sue Sylvester walked in, and started to usher them inside the auditorium. The moment Kurt walked through the threshold, he started to look around trying to spot his family...and he almost stopped breathing when he noticed the young boy sitting next to his dad.

“It can't be.” Kurt whispered incredulous.

“What?” Mercedes asked, but following his gaze she noticed why Kurt looked so surprised all of a sudden.

“Blaine!” Kurt yelled, waving enthusiastically and already trying to make his way to where his family was just to say a quick hello.

“Oh my God!” Kurt exclaimed excited, lacing his arms around his fiance’s neck. “What are you doing here? When did you arrive?”

“I couldn’t miss this important part of your life, my love.” Blaine said, “And your dad helped me. We planned this a few weeks ago, right sir?”

“Indeed,” Burt said, “Consider him one of your graduation presents.”

“Thank you!” Kurt exclaimed, quickly hugging his dad.

“Mr. Hummel!” Coach Sue yelled, “You have to go back to your seat!”

“I’ll be right there!” Kurt replied, rolling his eyes at her. “I have to go over there, but I’m so glad you’re here.” Kurt said, giving his fiance a quick kiss on the lips. Surprising one or two curious eyes that were looking at the exchange. “I love you!”

“I love you too!” Blaine replied, “Now, go and get that diploma. I’m so proud of you!”

Kurt smiled broadly and made his way back to his seat. Now with Blaine there, everything was perfect.

o-o-o-o-o

The graduation ceremony started with Principal Figgins’ always-boring-and-creepy speech and was followed by a performance of the New Directions. After an overwhelming round of applause, Ms. Pillsbury took the stage and started to call each student to go to the stage to get his or her diploma. When Kurt heard his name being called, a loudly cheer came from the seats on the back where the parents and families were seated.

Kurt turned around and saw his dad and fiance cheering loudly with Carole clapping excited next to them. He turned around a bit flushed, but with a huge smile on his face. It was always heartwarming to know that his whole family was proud of him. 

Kurt walked to the stage and with trembling hands he picked up his diploma, raising it in the air as a sign of victory. He had finally made it.

Blaine and Burt cheered even more loudly — if that was even possible — and Carole joined them this time. Kurt made a small bow and fixed eyes with his fiance. They both had tears in their eyes, but these were tears of joy.

“I.Love.You.” Blaine mouthed, making each word understandable for Kurt.

“I.Love.You.Too.” Kurt mouthed back, and stepped back to stand with the rest of the students that had already received their diplomas.

Kurt watched the rest of the ceremony from the stage and cheered loudly when they called Mercedes and Finn. Then, Principal Figgins presented the 2011 McKinley High School Class and Kurt threw his cap into the air, celebrating the ending of a huge chapter of his life and the beginning of a new one — which promised to be filled with adventures and love, too much love.

o-o-o-o-o

When the ceremony was over, all the families and alumni started to gather outside the auditorium. Kurt immediately rushed to introduce Blaine to the rest of his friends that hadn’t met him during his time in the hospital and the weeks he had to stay at home recovering from the attack.

“So…” Santana said, approaching them, “This is the famous Blaine Anderson.” She said, greeting him. “I have to admit that I was starting to think that you were just a figment of Kurt’s desperate imagination.”

“Santana.” Kurt complained.

“A pleasure to meet you ma’am, I mean Santana. Kurt has told me a lot about you.” Blaine said, politely shaking hands with Santana.

“You got yourself a schooled one, nice touch, Hummel.” Santana said, clearly making fun of Blaine’s polite manners.

“Don’t start with that, Santana.” Kurt warned her.

“No, Hummel. I actually approve.” She said, checking out Blaine again. “He’s okay.” She said, now admiring Blaine’s behind.

“Santana!” Kurt exclaimed, blushing.

“What!?” She complained. “I’m a lesbian, but that doesn't mean that I cannot appreciate your boyfriend's hmmm, features."

Kurt and Blaine blushed while the rest of Kurt’s friends greeted Blaine and exchanged some words with him.

“So, you guys are coming, right?” Puck finally asked, he was already getting rid of the graduation gown.

“Where?” Blaine asked.

“We’re going to celebrate at Breadstix’s.” Kurt explained, “It’s a local restaurant.”

“I can’t go, my love.” Blaine said. “I have to go back.”

“All the way back to Italy?” Brittany, Santana’s girlfriend, asked. They all knew Blaine was from _'a different place'_.

“I’m not supposed to be here in the first place.” Blaine explained, trying to lie as little as possible.

“So you escaped and traveled from the other side of the world just to be here today?” Tina asked in disbelief. Everyone could notice that her voice reflected a tone of jealousy. They knew she wished she had a boyfriend like Kurt’s.

“Something like that.” Blaine said, not really wanting to elaborate. It was better like that.

“Wow, a schooled little rebel.” Santana said approvingly. “You’re growing on me, Anderson. Too bad that you have to go so soon.”

Blaine just smiled apologetically, he wished he could stay more, but unfortunately — or fortunately, it depended on the way he decided to see it — he couldn’t stay.

“Okay, then...are you coming, Kurt?” Puck asked.

“Yes, just let me see what my parents are going to do and who’s going to take B to the...hou-airport.”

“Okay, then we’ll see you there.” Puck and the rest of the group said, walking away and leaving the boys alone.

“Are you sure you can’t stay a bit more?” Kurt asked, “It’s the middle of the night there.”

“I know, but the wedding guests are supposed to be arriving any minute now. Don’t you remember that Cooper said uncle Andre would be arriving before dawn?”

Kurt frowned confused. He could almost swear that he had heard the opposite. That Uncle Andre would be arriving after dawn. “I thought he said after dawn.”

“You must have heard wrong, my love.” Blaine said, smiling at him. “But go and have fun with your friends, I’ll see you tomorrow at your house so we can say goodbye to your family.”

“Okay, fine.” Kurt said, he didn’t know why, but something inside of him was telling him that Blaine was lying. _Why?_ He didn’t know, but he was almost certain that his fiance had lied about having to go back so soon.

“Let’s go to see your father, he’s going to take me back to your house.” Blaine said, dragging Kurt with him.

When Kurt and Blaine arrived to where Carole and Burt were they found Finn there. He was talking very secretly with them.

“Kurt!” Finn exclaimed surprised. “I was just asking them permission to go celebrate with the rest of the guys.” He said.

“Good.” Kurt replied, not really knowing why Finn felt the urge to immediately justify why he was secretly talking with Burt and Carole.

“Dad…” Kurt said, looking at Burt. “Blaine has to go back, so...could you give him a ride home?”

“Sure, kid. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him. You are going with Finn, right?” Burt asked, just to make sure he had understood the plans.

“Yes, dad.”

“Okay, then have fun you both-” He said, pointing to Finn and Kurt. “And just make sure to be home by 6pm sharp, alright?”

“Why?” Kurt asked.

“Because I’m you father and I say so.”

“Fine!” Kurt said, rolling his eyes at his dad. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay B?” He added, now looking at his fiance with tender eyes.

“Have fun, my love.” Blaine said, kissing him softly. "And congratulations!"

o-o-o-o-o

Burt, Carole and Blaine made their way inside the Hummel-Hudson’s house and immediately Carole got lost in the kitchen. Burt exhaled and turned around to look at Blaine.

“So…” Burt trailed off. “I know you already told me this thousands of times before, but I just feel like it’s my duty to ask you again, are you completely sure you want to do this?”

Blaine nodded determined. “I know what you all mean for Kurt and I just want to see him happy. I know that tomorrow will be a very difficult day for all of us, and I just want him to forget about saying goodbye for a while.”

“You know, Blaine?” Burt said, “Even though I know you’re doing this for Kurt, you’re actually giving me and my family the best gift we could have possibly asked for, so thank you.”

Blaine smiled warmly at his future father in-law. “I’m not doing it just for him.” He said with a sweet smile.

Burt smiled broadly and hugged him tightly. “Welcome to the family, son.”

o-o-o-o-o

Breadstix was as crowded as any of the restaurants always were in a town like Lima, but unlike all the other places, in here, the group of friends could enjoy some refreshments without having to spend a lot of the money. Money that they clearly didn’t have, or that in some cases were saving for their college experiences.

The group of friends were lost in different conversations, but they all went around the same topic, their time at McKinley.

Kurt was trying to keep up with everyone because even though the vast majority thought he would just go to Europe and he would be at the other end of a phone call or a laptop screen, he knew he would be going to a world in which none of that existed. This was his goodbye to his friends.

“So, Kurt…” Quinn said, “Tell us about your trip to Italy, when are you going?”

“Hmmm, actually tomorrow.” Kurt confessed.

“What!?” They all exclaimed at the same time.

“I thought you’d stay here for the summer.” Tina said, practically speaking for everyone in the table.

“Well, that was the idea.” Kurt lied, “But then they told me I had to be at some pre-course and well…”

“Then I propose a toast.” Artie said, raising his glass of lemonade. “To Kurt, may you have the greatest adventure of all! We’re going to miss you, but we wish you the best, and have fun with Blaine!”

“To Kurt!” The rest of the table exclaimed, and Kurt tried with all his will to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill out. And unlike Mercedes he did succeed. His best friend was a sobbing mess.

o-o-o-o-o

Carole entered the guests room and found a boy on the edge of freaking out. He was pacing anxiously around the room still dressed in the clothes they had prepared for him earlier.

“Are you okay? Do you need any help with that?” She said, pointing to the black tuxedo that was spread on the bed.

“Yes, please!” Blaine said relieved. “I’m so nervous that I don’t even know how to dress myself anymore.”

Carole looked at him with motherly eyes. “Don’t worry, honey, it’s not that complicated. Let’s start with the basics, why don’t you go to the bathroom and put the pants and shirt on and I’ll help you with the rest, okay?”

Blaine nodded and did what he was told to, coming out of the bathroom half dressed.

“I’m glad it fit.” Carole said approvingly. “I was worried we had rented the wrong size.”

“It’s perfect!” Blaine said. “Thank you.”

“Your welcome, honey. Now let’s get you ready, okay?”

Blaine nodded and allowed Carole to work on him.

“I just hope Kurt doesn’t freak out.” He shared his concern.

“He won’t, honey.” Carole reassured him. “Or at least not in a bad way.”

Blaine smiled and in that moment some noises coming from downstairs started to get louder. They both knew that that only meant one thing — Kurt was home.

“Oh my God! He’s here!” Blaine said, out of breath. He suddenly felt dizzy.

“Breathe, Blaine. Everything will be fine. Now, let me see if you are ready.” Carole said, looking at him from head to toe, and fixing his bow-tie. “That’s it...now you’re perfect.” She said, looking at her masterpiece with approvingly eyes. “Now, let’s just wait for our cue to go.”

Blaine just nodded — all the oxygen in his lungs had suddenly evaporated.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt made his way inside his home, he frowned confused. The house was extremely quiet and all the lights were off. He knew something was going on the moment Mercedes had told him that she was going with them, but neither his brother nor his best friend had told him a word of what his dad was up to.

“Dad?” Kurt questioned doubtfully. “Carole?”

But nobody replied.

“What the hell is going on?” Kurt asked Finn and Mercedes, who were just entering the house.

“Nothing.” Burt said, coming down the stairs. “Glad you could make it, Mercedes.” He added. “Finn, could you help your brother get ready? We will be waiting in the backyard in five minutes, you can’t take more, so move!” He exclaimed, clapping his hands.

“What the-” Kurt started to question, but couldn’t finish because Finn dragged him up the stairs and despite all his complains, he didn’t tell him a word and just pushed him inside his room, closing the door behind them.

“Now, you heard Burt. You have five minutes. Put this on.” He said, handing Kurt a tuxedo.

“A tuxedo?” Kurt asked confused. “For what?”

“Don’t ask and just do it, okay? You’ll find out in five minutes.” Finn said, pushing Kurt to the bathroom door.

o-o-o-o-o

Five minutes later, Kurt and Finn walked down the stairs in complete darkness. Finn was leading Kurt through the house and shushing him every second.

“What the hell is going on, Finn?” Kurt asked, when they reached the kitchen.

“Nothing bad, I promise. Now, close your eyes.” Finn said.

Kurt rolled his eyes, he didn’t like surprises and this one was getting on his nerves.

“Please? It’ll be only for a second.” Finn begged.

“Fine, but just so you know...I’m not happy about any of this, this mystery is driving me insane and-”

“Just shut up, okay?” Finn said, clearly regretting having volunteered himself to this task.

Finn ushered Kurt through the kitchen to the backyard and put him in position. With one signal, Burt turned on the lights and the whole yard illuminated with thousands of small lights, simulating stars. Kurt had his eyes still closed, but he felt the lights and frowned.

“Can I open my eyes now?” He asked.

“You can.” A different voice said, and Kurt snapped his eyes open.

“Blaine! What are you-” Kurt started to say, but the words died in his throat. He looked around and put two on two — the decoration, the flowers, the lights, the fancy suits...this was a wedding. This was their wedding.

“I know how devastated you were about your family missing our wedding, so I decided that we could indulge them with a very private spiritual ceremony. We can’t actually get married here because well, I’m not from here so the license was not an option, but we can have a very special symbolic wedding here with your family before our real wedding in two days.” Blaine said.

Kurt had tears in his eyes, he had already resigned himself to not have his family with him when he finally said _‘I do,’_ but now the chance — although not official — was real, and he was the happiest man in the whole planet.

“I hate you.” Kurt whispered, leaning over to kiss Blaine.

“I love you too.” Blaine said smiling.

Kurt wiped his tears and whispered, “Thank you.”

Blaine shook his head to emphasize that it had been nothing, and extended his hand, “May I?”

Kurt nodded frantically and grabbed his future soon to be husband’s hand, walking with him along the improvised aisle that led to the altar, where Burt was waiting for them to officiate the improvised first wedding.

o-o-o-o-o

The ceremony was short, but very emblematic, both Kurt and Blaine made sure to share everything they could in their free vows, since back in Bellezza they would be following a protocol. They told each other promises of a lifetime together, followed by a very teary-eyed kiss and an overwhelming series of hugs and kisses from their family.

Mercedes then cleared her throat in front of the small karaoke that they had set, and asked the fake-newlywed couple to go to the center of the yard where a wooden pad served as dance floor, so they could have their first dance together.

“As you already know Kurt, it is tradition in both your worlds to have a first dance and since your now fake husband is not familiar with our music, he asked me to pick up a song for you two today. I hope you like what I chose…” Mercedes said, pressing the play button on the karaoke machine.

The first notes of _‘Come What May’_ started to play and Kurt lost control of his emotions, and started to cry again. Moulin Rouge was one of Kurt’s favorite movies, and apparently Blaine’s too, since his fake-husband had watched it with him a thousand times while he was still sick in bed after the attack.

Blaine immediately grabbed Kurt and pulled him close to his body, where they melted and started to swing following the beat of the song and the angelical voice of Mercedes.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Blaine whispered, leaning over for a kiss and resting his head on Kurt’s shoulder.

o-o-o-o-o

After the dance, Carole surprised everybody with a homemade cake that they enjoyed while sharing experiences and little stories from Blaine’s world. Kurt found himself looking at his whole family and feeling whole for the first time in years. The last time he had felt like this was when his mother was still alive, and he didn’t remember everything, just the fact that he felt loved, secure and extremely happy — like he felt in that precise moment.

“Are you okay?” Mercedes asked, noticing her friend’s expression.

“Better than ever, actually.” Kurt said, still smiling at his family. “I think I’ve never felt this happy in my life before.”

“Good, because that’s all we want for you, Kurt. We want to see you happy.”

“I’m going to miss you Cedes, but I’ll be here for the holidays and you better show up or else, I’m going to drag your ass back from Cali.”

Mercedes laughed. “I’ll be here, and you better have a lot of royalty gossip to share because I’ve never had a friend who's part of a royal family.”

Kurt laughed loudly and released Blaine’s hand — the one he had been holding since they had fakely got married — and embraced his friend in what it would be their last hug for now.

o-o-o-o-o

Slowly, time flew and even thought they were having a great time, it was time for Blaine to go back. The excuse about the wedding guests arriving to Bellezza was partially true, they were expecting more than one thousand guests. Not everyone would be staying in the palace, the Smythe’s would be staying in their private estates near Bellezza and the nobility invited to the event would be arriving until the wedding day on Sunday. However, Blaine’s family was expected to arrive today.

“Do you really have to go?” Kurt asked, as they made their way back to the house.

“Yes, my love. I didn’t lie when I said the guests would be arriving soon. I just tried to confuse you with what Cooper had said about Uncle Andre, but it was just because I wanted this to be a surprise...it was one of my wedding presents for you.”

“And it was perfect.” Kurt said, leaning over to leave a kiss on his fake-husband’s lips. “But I wish this night would never end.”

“It will never end, my love, we just started our life together.” Blaine said, they were now climbing up the stairs toward Kurt’s room.

They closed the door behind them and Kurt immediately pushed Blaine against it, kissing him like he had been wanting to do it since he first saw him standing in front of him dressed in that tuxedo.

“Kurt-” Blaine murmured breathless. “I-” He trailed off.

“Shhhh.” Kurt said, “My dad could hear us and even though we’re fake-married, this is still his house.”

“I know and-” Blaine said, but Kurt captured his lips again. “I really wish I could stay.” Blaine managed to say.

“But our family will be in the palace soon and you have to be there.” Kurt said, sighing loudly.

Blaine smiled broadly, the fact that Kurt had just referred to the rest of the Anderson’s as _‘our’_ family was heart melting.

“What?” Kurt asked, noticing that look upon Blaine’s eyes.

“You said _‘our’_ family.”

“And?” Kurt asked, kissing Blaine again, “Aren’t they _our_ family?”

“Yes, but this is the first time you say it and I liked it. I love you!”

“Well, then get used to it, B, because they are my family and I will be officially one of the Anderson’s men this Sunday.”

“I like that...Kurt Anderson. Yes I like it!” Blaine said, thinking about Kurt’s upcoming change of name.

“And I like it even more.” Kurt said firmly.

“I can’t wait to marry you for real.” Blaine confessed.

“Me neither.” Kurt said, once again kissing Blaine with desperation.

Blaine let him have fun for some minutes, but when he felt himself cornered between the mattress and his fake-husband, he had to stop him.

“I’m sorry, my love, but we can’t continue with this. Not that I don’t want to continue exploring your body, it’s the only thing I’ve been thinking since I saw you wearing this.” Blaine said, grabbing Kurt’s bow-tie. “But if I stay then my family, I mean, our family, will be very surprised to find an unconscious version of myself in the eve of our wedding.”

Kurt sighed. “Okay fine, you’re right. I just miss you so much, I want to be with you 24/7.”

“Then you’ll have to wait just until tomorrow, my love.”

“Tomorrow.” Kurt breathed out; the hint of sudden sadness didn’t go unnoticed by Blaine.

“I’ll be here with you, don’t worry. Just help me go back so I can entertain our family there and you won’t even miss me, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Promise?”

“I swear.” Blaine said, kissing Kurt.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, in the good times, and in the bad, remember?” Blaine said, and Kurt just nodded. “Now fake husband, help me fall asleep so I can go back.”

“Okay, but just for the record, it totally sucks to spend my fake-wedding night without my fake-husband.”

Blaine laughed. “If it helps, I’ll be thinking about you.”

“Me too.” Kurt replied, laying next to Blaine and embracing him. “I love you.”

“And I love you too.”

“Close your eyes.” Kurt said, and just when Blaine did it, Kurt started to hum the notes of _‘Come What May’_ until his fake-husband was gone.


	34. Chapter 34

Saying goodbye was always difficult, but Kurt never thought it would be that hard to let go of his life in Lima when the time came. Saying goodbye to his friends and even to Mercedes the night before had been very hard, but now that he was looking at his brother, stepmother and dad’s teary eyes, he couldn’t find the right words to say. Goodbye didn't seem enough.

“So…” Blaine said, noticing that Kurt was out of words. “I know this is hard and I just want to assure you all that first, we will be coming here every time we can, it would be like if Kurt had just really gone to some university out of this town, and second…” Blaine added, squeezing Kurt’s hand tightly. “I promise you all that I will devote my life to try to make Kurt happy. I’ll take care of him and most importantly, I’ll love him no matter what. Forever.”

Kurt smiled at his still fiance, but symbolically fake-husband, and the tears started to roll down his face.

“Listen, Blaine,” Burt said, trying to fight back the tears. “I appreciate what you are saying, and I’m sure you’ll make Kurt very happy, but don’t just devote yourself to try to make Kurt’s life better, instead…” He said in all his wisdom. “Build a life together, boys. You two are young, so enjoy the perks of youthfulness and make every second of your lives together worth living.”

“Thank you, dad.” Kurt replied, sobbing.

“I want you both to take care of each other and whenever you can, come and visit this old man, okay? I will always be here for both of you.” Burt said, “Because since last night, Blaine.” He added, looking at Blaine. “You became my son too.”

Blaine took a step forward and releasing Kurt, he hugged Burt. “Thank you so much, sir.”

“Don’t call me sir, kid.” Burt said, still hugging him. “I’m just Burt...or dad, whatever you want to call me.”

“Thank you, Burt.” Blaine said, smiling politely at him and proceeding to hug the rest of the family.

“Take care of my little brother, Blaine, and when you guys come back for Christmas I can finally teach you how to use the X-Box.” Finn said, patting Blaine on the back. During the time Blaine had been visiting Kurt after the attack, Finn had found particularly entertaining to teach Blaine all about technology and the modern world; he taught him from how to turn on and off the lights and the electronic devices — the TV being his favorite — to how to use the iPad to put some movies on Netflix. He also explained him the way telephones, faxes, cell phones and the Internet worked, but never had the chance to really teach him how to play a video game.

“I’d love that.” Blaine replied honestly.

“Take care of each other, Blaine, and don’t forget that this is your home too.” Carole said, giving Blaine a motherly hug.

“Thank you, ma’am.” Blaine said, all politely.

“Just Carole sweetie.”

Blaine nodded and stepped back. It was Kurt’s time to say goodbye. They both had to be back in Bellezza any minute now, they had spent some quality time with them during breakfast, but if they wanted Kurt to be a complete Bellezzan by the time they were saying _‘I do’_ then they had to go and time was ticking.

Kurt took a step forward and stood in front of his brother. “Try not to fool around that much when you go to college, okay? I won’t be there to save your ass.”

Finn laughed, but tears were already welling up in his eyes. “I won’t, but in the remote case that I get myself in trouble, then I guess I’ll have to learn to save my own ass for once.”

“Well, it’s now or never, right?” Kurt said, trying to smile and still saving some distance from his brother. Finn seemed to notice that and immediately closed the distance between them, covering Kurt in one massive bone-crushing hug.

“I love you, okay?” Finn said, already crying. “I know I never tell you this, but I really love you, man. You’re my brother and even though we don’t share the same blood we’re brothers from the heart and that’s more important.”

“I love you too, Finn.” Kurt said, crying on his brother’s shoulder.

“And don’t worry about our parents.” Finn said, finally releasing Kurt and wiping his eyes. “I’ll take care of them and you have fun, okay?”

Kurt nodded.

“And don’t cry, we’ll see each other for Christmas, unless Your Royal Highness doesn’t want to honor us with his presence.” Finn said, mocking Kurt for his upcoming royalty status.

“Oh, shut up!” Kurt said, laughing despite the tears in his eyes.

Finn smirked and stepped back to let his mother get closer to Kurt.

“Don’t worry about us, okay Kurt? We will be fine, I’ll take care of your dad and we will see each other soon.” Carole said, hugging her stepson.

“I’m going to miss you guys.” Kurt whispered.

“Us too, sweetheart, but we’re happy for you.” Carole said with a smile. “You’re actually living a fairy-tale story...so enjoy it and just be happy, okay? If you’re happy we will be as well.” She said, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you for everything, Carole.” Kurt said.

“Don’t even mention it, and I promise to bake you two some special cookies for Christmas, okay?” She said, walking back to where Finn was and leaving Burt in front of his son.

“Dad…I’m-” Kurt whispered, choking on his tears.

“Buddy…” Burt said, hugging his son one last time. “I love you, okay? I will always love you, no matter where you are or with who you are. This old man will always love you. I’m glad you have found your happiness and even though I’m going to miss you like crazy, I know this is for the best.” Burt said, with tears in his eyes.

“I’m sorry-” Kurt sobbed.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, kiddo. It’s okay. You don’t have to be sorry, I’m crying because I’m going to miss you, but this is like you going to college, so don’t worry. You’re not hurting me, this decision you made was the right one, okay?”

Kurt nodded; his dad always knew what he wanted to hear. And this time Kurt needed him to reassure him that he hadn’t acted like a selfish boy in love.

“I love you so much, dad.”

“And I love you too, kiddo, and don’t worry about anything, okay? We will be fine, but you have to promise me that you’ll be fine too.”

“I will, dad.” Kurt said, kissing his dad’s cheek. “Don’t forget about me, okay?”

“Never.” Burt said, not letting go of Kurt’s hand.

Blaine felt terrible for interrupting this moment, but it was time for them to go back. They had to actually have some time to rest because it will be a day full of activities. The eve of every wedding in Bellezza had its special celebration.

“My love…” Blaine said, softly stroking Kurt’s back. “It’s time.”

Kurt nodded, and wiped the tears falling from his face.

Blaine took out from his Bellezzan clothes two small glass bottles and hand one for Kurt. They were at Kurt’s room, so he just walked to the bed, holding his bottle and lay down.

“We’ll see you all for Christmas,” Blaine said, and giving one last knowingly look to Kurt, he drank the content of the bottle and disappeared almost immediately.

Kurt took a deep breath and walked near the bed.

“You know what you have to do with the other tonic I left for you the other day, right?” Kurt asked his dad.

“Yes, don’t worry, son.” Burt said, helping Kurt to lay down in bed.

“This tonic will make me sleep, so you’ll just have to give me the other one and it will be done, okay?”

“Okay.” Burt whispered.

Kurt looked at Carole and Finn, who were both crying and smiled at them. “I love you, guys.” He whispered to them, and then looking at his dad he said, “Thank you for everything, dad. You’re the best dad in the world. I love you.”

Burt kissed his son’s temple. “I love you too, and I’m so proud of you, kiddo. Now go and we’ll see each other really soon, okay? I’ll wait for you guys during Thanksgiving...I bet that husband of yours doesn’t know what that is.”

Kurt laughed. “No, he doesn’t, but I’ll make sure he knows all about it for when we come back.”

“Good.”

Kurt opened the bottle and looked at the green liquid. It smelled funny, but he drank the whole content in one single gulp. It tasted even funnier and the effect was almost immediate. He started to feel sleepy and in the blink of an eye he was out.

Finn, Carole and Burt watched the ring that was on Kurt’s left hand disappear and they knew he was gone.

“Goodbye, son.” Burt whispered, bursting into tears.

o-o-o-o-o

When Kurt opened his eyes, he found Blaine looking at him. He had some tears in his eyes too, but he didn’t look sad, he just looked moved. Kurt sobbed loudly and lunged himself into his fiance’s arms.

“That was so hard!” Kurt sobbed.

“I know, my love, I know.” Blaine said, stroking Kurt’s back with sweet patterns just trying to comfort him.

“But it’s done now, and I don’t regret it.” Kurt said, wiping the tears and kissing Blaine’s neck. “I’m a bit sad, but it will pass. This is where I belong.” Kurt said, placing his hand on Blaine’s chest, just above his heart.

“It is.” Blaine reassured him. “I love you.” He added. “And I want you to know that I’m fully aware of the immense sacrifice you’re making, so thank you for doing this for us.”

“I love you.” Kurt said back.

In that moment Kurt looked around. With all the commotion going on with his permanent move, he had forgotten that Ray had promised to be there when they both came back from Kurt’s world for good.

“Where’s Ray?” He asked, the room was empty.

“I don’t know,” Blaine shrugged, “when I arrived the room was empty. Maybe he got tired of waiting and he’s at his lab.”

“We should go and check just in case before trying to sleep a little.”

“Yes, we should-” Blaine was saying when there was a soft knock on the door.

“Who’s there?” Blaine asked, looking at Kurt with suspicious eyes.

“Giacomo, Your Highness.” The voice in the other side of the room said.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other.

“Come in.” Blaine said.

Giacomo made his way into the room, while Kurt and Blaine stood from bed.

“Sorry for interrupting, Your Highnesses, but my master instructed me to wait outside your door until you two were back. I heard voices and I decided to knock.”

“It’s fine Giacomo, where’s Ray?”

“He had some errands to run and asked me to be here for your return, Your Highnesses. He asked me to apologize on his behalf for the inconveniences that this may cause, and he also said that he will be back here on Sunday in time for your wedding.”

“When did he leave?” Blaine asked, not really understanding which errands Ray could have had in the middle of the night.

“Almost one hour ago, Your Highness.”

“In the middle of the night?” Kurt asked.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Giacomo, please stop with the _‘Your Highnesses,’_ we’re just Kurt and Blaine...did he say where he was going?” Blaine asked.

“No, Your High- I mean, no Blaine. He just asked me to be here to inform you both.”

“Well, thank you, Giacomo.”

“Your welcome Kurt, hmmm…” Giacomo trailed off, “Now I’ll go rest a little, your guests will be arriving all day tomorrow and we all are instructed to help to accommodate your family.” Giacomo said.

“Thank you again, Giacomo.” Blaine said, “We will try to sleep for a couple of hours too.”

“Then sleep tight Kurt, Blaine.” Giacomo said, walking away and closing the door behind him.

“That was weird, right?” Kurt said, as soon as they were alone. “Why did Ray have to go in the middle of the night one day before our wedding? It doesn’t make any sense…I just hope he’s fine.”

“I know, but it’s Ray we’re talking about. I’m sure he’s fine and if he said he will be here for our wedding, he will be...now, let’s try to sleep.” Blaine said, motioning Kurt to the bed.

“You want me to sleep in here?” Kurt asked, faking surprise.

“You want to go to your own chambers?”

Kurt laughed, shaking his head. “No, in fact I was planning exactly this.” Kurt said, jumping into bed. “Our first night together, well kind of, more like our first three hours of sleep together.”

Blaine smiled warmly and get into bed, he was already wearing his pajamas.

“I need clothes.” Kurt said, “And don’t say I can sleep naked, because I won’t do that. I don’t want the servants spreading the rumor that I was naked in your bed.”

“But you’ve been naked in my bed and you’ll continue to be, until death do us part”

“I know, but I don’t want them to think that I somehow corrupted you and robbed your virtue before the big day.”

Blaine burst out laughing. “I think it is more accurate to say that we offered each others' virtues voluntarily a long time ago, my love.”

“We did, but they don’t know that.” Kurt said, taking one of Blaine’s pajamas from his wardrobe and changing quickly.

Kurt lay on bed next to Blaine and rested his head on his fiance's chest. “Would you take care of it for a few hours?” Kurt said, removing his ring from his finger and placing it on Blaine’s finger.

“Sure.” Blaine said, smiling at the gesture.

“Goodnight, B.”

“Goodnight, my love.”

They both smiled and closed their eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt felt the sun peaking through the shutters, he felt his whole body craving for more hours of sleep, but apparently it was time to get up.

“Hmmmm.” Blaine murmured in his sleep, when Kurt started to move.

“We have to get up, B.” Kurt whispered into his ear, leaving a soft kiss there.

“Hmmm.” Blaine murmured again, “That feels really nice.”

“You like it?” Kurt said, leaving a trail of soft kisses around Blaine’s neck.

“Waking up next to you has his advantages.” Blaine said, now with his eyes fully open.

“I know.” Kurt said, still kissing every inch of Blaine’s skin that wasn’t covered with the pajamas. “I can kiss you and touch you and-” Kurt said, now moving on top of Blaine. “and make love to you.”

“Oh, God!” Blaine breathed out, grabbing Kurt’s face and leaning over for a sloppy morning kiss.

They kissed passionately and with no restrains, letting their hands explore each other bodies the way they liked it, and just when things started to get interesting there was a knock on the door.

“Crap!” Kurt exhaled, putting his pajama top again and moving to Blaine’s side. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the servants always interrupting.”

Blaine laughed and bottomed his pajama shirt. “We’ll have time, don’t worry and once we’re married we can request them not to come here so early.”

Kurt just rolled his eyes and tried to ease his breathing again.

“Come in.” Blaine said.

Agatha opened the door and was a bit surprised to find Kurt there, but she didn’t say anything about it and just entered the room.

“Good morning, Blaine...Kurt.” Agatha said, smiling at them. “It’s a beautiful day in the lagoon.” She said, as she always did.

“When is not a beautiful day in the lagoon, Agatha?” Blaine asked playfully.

“I’ve seen a few,” She replied, opening the shutters and letting the light of the sun to cover the whole room. She immediately entered the bathroom to prepare Blaine’s bath.

Kurt couldn’t help but notice the lack of shadow in the figures cast on the wall. But he wasn’t expecting it to be that soon, he knew it would take at least some hours.

“How long do you think it will take?” Blaine asked, following Kurt’s gaze and noticing the lack of shadow too.

“I don’t know, Ray said that the potion would take no more than 24 hours to kick in. Apparently human bodies can resist at least 3 or 4 days without any food or water, so this would be like a euthanasia.”

“A what?” Blaine asked.

“An assisted death.” Kurt explained.

“Well, then lets hope it doesn’t take long because we’re marrying at twilight tomorrow and everyone will notice your lack of shadow.”

“Don’t worry, B. My dad must have already given me the potion, now we just have to wait.”

“Okay,” Blaine said, smiling and leaning over to give Kurt a quick kiss. “Did I tell you how gorgeous you look today?”

Kurt smiled sheepishly and shook his head.

“Well, you look gorgeous, you always do, but today you are simply stunning.” Blaine said, placing the engagement ring again on Kurt’s finger and kissing him.

Kurt smiled with the kiss and linked his arms around Blaine’s neck to deepen the kiss.

Agatha cleared her throat. “Sorry for interrupting, but your bath is ready, Blaine. I’ll ask Eloise to prepare yours, Kurt, she must be already in your chambers. And when you two are ready, your family is waiting for you at the dining table to have breakfast.”

“Thank you, Agatha.” Kurt said, blushing a little due to the compromising position in which she had found them.

“Hmmm, Agatha?” Blaine asked. “Who has arrived?”

“Your aunt Silvia, her husband lord D’Angelo and your cousins; also lords Andre, and Raphael with all their families. They all are already settling in.”

“Okay, thank you, Agatha. We will be ready in a bit.” Blaine said, and Agatha nodded and left the room. “Ready to start with all the wedding eve celebrations?”

“I was born ready, B.” Kurt said, standing up excited and walking to the door. “I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”

“I love you!”

“I love you too!” Kurt yelled, exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

o-o-o-o-o

Carole entered Kurt’s room, it was getting late and Burt wasn’t in bed yet. Her husband was still sat next to his son’s sleeping body and was holding his hand as if that would bring him back somehow.

“Burt?”

“Yes?” Burt asked, looking up to meet his wife’s eyes.

“Have you given him the potion already?”

Burt shook his head and showed his wife the small glass bottle that was still intact in his hands.

“Why haven’t you?”

“I can’t, Carole. It’s my son...this is going to kill him. I can’t do that.” Burt said, sounding defeated.

“But you have to, honey.”

“I know, but it’s not easy.” Burt said, trying not to cry again. “He’s my son.”

“Precisely because he is your son you have to do it. Remember that we have to take his body to that morgue out of town so nobody knows he's death.” Carole said, resting a soft hand on her husband’s back.

“I want to bury him with his mother.”

“We can take his ashes there, but we can’t risk people knowing he died here, or else he won’t be able to come back, do you want that?” Carole said.

“No!” Burt exclaimed, shaking his head frantically.

“Then do what you have to do and give the boy the potion, remember what he said, okay? Less than 24 hours.”

Burt nodded exhaling defeated, and turned to see his son as soon as his wife was gone.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, putting the glass bottle inside his pocket again. He wasn’t ready to do it, at least not yet.


	35. Chapter 35

The day, which started with a very funny family breakfast, quickly flew away between different activities. According to the Bellezzan traditions, on the eve of their wedding, the soon to be married couple had to be faced to several tasks that would show if they were prepared to their future lives together. Since they were royalty, the tasks were different from the rest of the people, so for them the activities included, sword fighting, horse riding, gondola raises, archery and some other physical activities.

Thanks to all the training Blaine, Cooper, Ray and even Richard had given Kurt during the months between the engagement and the wedding, Kurt managed to even beat his future husband in some of the activities, being archery his best one.

After lunch, the whole family gathered together to enjoy some appetizers. The only traditional activity that was missing was the launch of paper lanterns into the sky at night. According to the Bellezzan folklore, it was a good omen for the soon to be married couple to send all their wishes to the stars, to get the protection of the goddess of the lagoon and to ensure a good marriage. This was a family tradition, and each member of the couple’s family had to send one wish for the grooms, so now everybody was waiting for the night to finally settle so they could all go out and lit the lanterns.

Kurt was looking out through the window, watching the colors of the sunset getting lost in the horizon; he had his arms around himself as he caught the last rays of sun. He was so lost in his own thoughts that when a pair of strong arms grabbed him from behind, he jumped a little.

“Having second thoughts?” Blaine asked.

Kurt immediately shook his head. “Never! Why would I have second thoughts?”

“I don’t know…you’re very thoughtful.”

Kurt leaned his head back to rest it on Blaine’s shoulder. “I was actually thinking about the fireworks for tomorrow. This is the third time I’ll be able to watch them, the first one was an accident I didn’t even know what I was doing here, the other one was the engagement, but this time…” He exhaled, “I’ll be here as a Bellezzan and I don’t know what to expect.”

“They will be great, too bad you didn’t help with these ones because the ones you did when we moved great, great grandmother Catherine’s remains were stunning.”

“Ray didn’t let me help this time. He said it would be one of our wedding gifts.”

“Then I’m sure they are going to be amazing. He surely did something special for us like the ones for the Engagement Ball.”

“Yes, he sure did.” Kurt said, smiling. “Where do you think he went?”

“Ray?” Blaine questioned, and Kurt just nodded. “I don’t know, but if he promised to be here tomorrow then, he will be.”

Kurt turned around and kissed him. “I can’t wait to marry you!”

“I can’t wait either, my love...I can’t wait either.” Blaine said, leaning for another kiss.

They were in the middle of that kissing exchange when Giacomo came by and cleared his throat.

“Sorry for interrupting, yet again, Kurt...Blaine.” He said, a bit flushed. “But there’s someone who just arrived that requested an audience with both of you.”

“Who?” Blaine asked, confused. They were not expecting anyone else. All of their family was already in the palace, and the rest of the guests would be arriving tomorrow for the actual event.

“Doctor Edward Lombardi.” Giacomo said, and both Kurt and Blaine looked at each other with worried, shocked and a bit excited expressions. They hadn’t met the first _itinerante_ yet. During the Engagement Ball, Ray had informed them that his master was a little sick and therefore he was unable to come all the way to Bellezza for his _‘grandson’s’_ engagement announcement and that had been a relief and a shame all at the same time. They both were so eager to know the man behind the art of _itineranzza_ that now that they had the chance to actually meet him, they didn’t know if they were more excited or scared about it.

“Where-where is he?” Kurt asked.

“Waiting at one of the living rooms. I announced him as your grandfather, Kurt, so nobody would suspect a thing.” Giacomo said, it was always good to have people in the palace who actually knew the truth, it was tiring to lie all the time.

“Thank you, we’ll go right away.” Kurt said, just looking at Blaine who had the same doubtful expression he had on his face.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt and Blaine entered one of the living rooms in the palace and found a thin hunchbacked man standing in front of the chimney. He was playing with a string from his elegant red velvet cloak.

Kurt cleared his throat. “Doctor Lombardi?”

The man turned around and looked at the two boys, he didn’t need a formal introduction to know who was who. It was pretty obvious who was the Bellezzan boy and who was the outsider.

“You must be my grandson!” Edward Lombardi said, taking a few steps to give Kurt a quick and very awkward hug.

“Hi.” Kurt said, all flushed.

“And you….” Edward said, looking at Blaine. “Must be my future grandson in-law.” He said, winking at Blaine and embracing him too.

“Nice to meet you, signor.” Blaine said, all politely.

One of the servants entered the room and offered them some refreshments. They all sat down in front of the fireplace with glasses of wine and some pastries. They had little time to talk before they had to go back to the main terrace of the palace to light the lanterns.

“Raymond informed me that you two are the youngest members of our brotherhood,” Edward said, “you being our newest member.” He added, looking at Blaine.

Both Kurt and Blaine nodded, they didn’t know what else to say. To say they found this man intimidating was an understatement.

“I don’t bite, I swear.” Edward said, noticing the hesitant looks in both the kids. “I know you don’t know me, so I will share my story with you both, I know we don’t have much time so I’ll be quick. I assume Raymond already told you that I’m the discoverer of the _itineranzza_ as the art of space-time travel, so I won’t bore you with that.” He said, smiling at the two boys. “Instead I’m going to share with you a bit of the life I've had in here.”

Both Kurt and Blaine nodded.

“Well, I live in Padavia in a  very elegant country house. I’m not married, but people really don’t know anything about me, so now I have a death daughter who eloped to Amerighi with one traveler she once met and they had a son.” He said, winking at Kurt. “I’m a professor at the University, where I hope to see you both in a couple of years, and in my spare time I’m a scientist.”

“Thank you for helping us with the cover up story.” Kurt said, thinking it was the right thing to do.

“Don’t worry, it was my pleasure. You made my life more interesting, believe me.” He said, winking at them. “I know that you are about to become a Bellezzan, am I right, Kurt?”

“Yes…”

“Well, if you want I can share with you what it was for me when I moved permanently to this amazing country.”

“Did it hurt?” Kurt asked, that had been one of his only concerns about the entire plan. He didn’t know if the process would hurt or not.

“No, it didn’t. In fact, you won’t feel a thing, just a strange dizziness and boom — next thing you’ll know, you’ll have a shadow.”

“That’s good to know.” Blaine said relieved. He hadn’t shared with Kurt that he was worried about that probability too.

Kurt smiled, and finally took the chance to analyze the man sitting in front of him. He looked older, way older than Ray, but somehow still young, like if he was truly starting a new life. Kurt remembered what Ray had shared with him about his master. The old _itinerante_ had discovered the portal 25 years ago, but he had moved as a permanent citizen of Bellezza just a few years ago, five to be precise.

“How did you become a citizen of Talia?” Kurt asked.

Lombardi looked over his shoulder to make sure the servant was not around before speaking in a low voice. “I was condemned to die by fire in my-our world. They said I had made magic and was in converse with devils. There was no way to escape so I traveled to Bellona. What happened to my earthly body, I do not know.”

He drank some wine with a shaking hand.

“I had to hide myself in the city. I had no money and no work and I was still afraid of my life. So I traveled to Padavia and took a lowly job and kept myself hidden there, afraid that someone could see my condition. Then, some days later I was storing some books in the old library of the University and I felt dizzy. The boy who helped me there thought I had worked myself out loading the heavy books, but I knew better...when I looked at the wall where the candles were casting the shadows, I saw mine. On that date I knew that I must have died in my old body and translated here permanently.” He said, looking at Kurt.

“You two are lucky, because even though you have decided to stay permanently here,” He added, “You may come and go between worlds by the way I opened it. But I may travel that road no more. This is my only world now.”

“Why?” Kurt and Blaine asked intrigued.

Edward Lombardi smiled and drank the rest of his wine. “That my boys, is a talk we shall have later. Now it’s time to go send some Bellezzan lanterns into the sky. The grandfather of the future Prince of Bellezza should be the first one, don’t you agree?”

o-o-o-o-o

The lanterns launching event was beyond what Kurt had been expecting. He thought it would be just them and their families lighting the lanterns and letting them fly into the sky, but it was not like that. Once their families finished with the official lanterns, Blaine had asked Kurt to look up into the distance. All the servants of the palace were standing in one of the courtyards with lanterns in hand.

“What are they-” Kurt had started to ask, but he couldn’t finish because in the blink of an eye the flood of lanterns flew up into the night sky.

Kurt had found that gesture very touching and had smiled at Blaine with teary eyes. Blaine just smiled back and encouraged him to keep looking straight. Kurt did what he had been told to, and suddenly from all the corners of the city and across the Bahia millions of lanterns started to fly up into the air.

“They are sending us their best wishes too.” Blaine had said, and Kurt hadn't been able to keep the tears from falling. It was so beautiful to see so many people wishing them to have a successful life and marriage that Kurt had no more doubts that this place was where he belonged.

"That was beautiful..." Kurt had whispered. "I think this is my favorite Bellezzan tradition so far — too bad you can only get married once."

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine carried the table candle and placed it in front of Kurt. They were back in Blaine’s chambers and getting ready for bed.

“You still don’t have a shadow.” Blaine murmured, looking at the empty wall where Kurt’s shadow should be.

“Why do you think is that?” Kurt questioned, trying to hide his concern, but failing.

“I don’t know, maybe your body was very strong so it’s trying not to let you go...I don’t know.” Blaine said, trying to sound not as worried as Kurt. But the truth was that they both were worried to death. The entire Smythe family would be at the wedding tomorrow and they knew it couldn't end good. After Kurt’s kidnapping, they had learned that Ambassador’s Rinaldo son had been the one to notify the family about Kurt’s _'apparent'_ lack of shadow when he was visiting the palace before the engagement Ball and therefore, Kurt and Blaine were aware that all eyes were going to be on Kurt — or better said, on Kurt's lack of shadow.

“Where’s Ray when we need him the most?” Kurt said.

“Don’t worry, my love. I’m sure that tomorrow you’ll wake up to a brand new shadow.” Blaine said, leaving a soft kiss on his soon to be husband’s lips.

“I really, really hope so.” Kurt said, exhaling and grabbing his pajamas, lo later get into the bathroom to change.

When Kurt emerged from the bathroom and was about to get into bed, the doors of the room swung open and Cooper trailed in.

“You can come in Coop, thank you for knocking. We are your manners?” Blaine said, looking at his brother with some not so friendly eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that, Lamb. I knocked...while opening.” Cooper said. “Now, Kurt. You have to come with me.”

“Why?” Kurt asked confused, it was not like Cooper didn’t know that they had been sleeping together, well not technically sleeping because Kurt just traveled back to Lima, but still.

“Because…” Cooper said, grabbing Kurt from one arm. “You won’t be sleeping here tonight.”

“Why?” Kurt and Blaine complained. It was technically the first full night Kurt was going to spend in Bellezza.

“Because it’s tradition!” Cooper said, almost dragging Kurt with him. “Now, behave and come with me. You two will have a lifetime of nights together.”

“But-” Blaine complained.

“Nothing, Lamb. You know exactly how this works. Besides, I’m doing you guys a favor. Mother knows you don’t sleep in your chambers, Kurt, so if you don’t follow me right now you will have to face the Queen coming to get you.”

Kurt blushed and Blaine too. Definitely having the Queen in the room with them was not in their plans.

“Okay, fine. I’ll go, stop pulling me.” Kurt said.

“Okay, that’s better. See?” Cooper said to Blaine, “You should learn from your fiance. He knows how to follow orders.”

Blaine rolled his eyes, and Kurt just shook his head. He knew it was better not to argue with Cooper about anything, either if you were right or not, he was going to win each and every argument.

“Come on, let’s go!” Cooper rushed him.

“Just give me one second.” Kurt said, walking to where Blaine was standing next to the bed and leaning over to give him a goodnight kiss. “Could you take care of it tonight too?” Kurt asked, sliding his engagement ring on Blaine’s finger.

“Sure, my love.”

“See you tomorrow, okay?” Kurt said, winking at him.

“Of course, we have a wedding to attend.”

“Can’t wait!” Kurt said excited, lacing his arms around Blaine again.

“Alright, alright.” Cooper said, grabbing Kurt again. “Enough with the public display of affection, let’s go!”

Both Kurt and Blaine laughed, but nodded. After all Cooper was right, they would have a lifetime of nights together.

o-o-o-o-o

Burt was still sitting next to his son’s sleeping body. It had been more than 24 hours since he had gone and Burt hadn’t given him the potion. He looked at his clock, it was almost 4pm. He had already passed the time frame Kurt had given him, but he couldn’t care. He never thought, when he accepted to give his son the potion, that it would cost him so much.

One thing was to say you would do it and the other one was to actually do it. _How on earth was he going to give his son a potion that was going to kill him? What was he thinking when he said yes?_

“I’m sorry, Kurt, but-” He was whispering to the inert body of his son, when he heard someone knocking the front door.

Confused, he stood up. They weren't the social type of family so who could it be knocking at their house when they were not expecting anyone was beyond him. Very carefully he closed the door of his son’s room and climbed down the stairs.

The house was in complete silence. Finn was at his girlfriend's house, Carole was upstairs watching some T.V in their room and Kurt laid unconscious on his bed. Burt took a deep breath and peeked through the door peephole to see who it was.

The man was giving his back to the door, impending Burt to see his face, so very hesitantly he opened the door. On the other side there was a tall man with silver hair. He was wearing a dark cloak that covered almost all his body. Burt didn't know the man, but he looked odd to say the least.

“Good morning good sir, my name is Raymond Armati, Royal advisor, scientist and first class _itinerante_. I’m Kurt’s master in Bellezza. May I come in?”


	36. Chapter 36

Kurt’s eyes snapped open with the first rays of sun. It had been his first night in Bellezza and he felt well rested — like he hadn’t felt in years. With a renewed attitude, he stood from bed and walked to the small balcony of his temporary room and opened the door to let the sun get in.

Looking down, he closed his eyes for a brief second to later open them and discover that where his shadow was supposed to be, there was still emptiness.

“What did you do dad?” He whispered to himself, and in that moment the doors of the room swung open revealing Blaine, still wearing his pajamas,

The young Prince looked down and gasped as surprised as Kurt had done a few seconds ago. He was expecting Kurt’s shadow to be there by morning and these recent events clearly complicated everything.

“I’m sure everything will be fine.” Blaine said, trying to remain positive.

“I used to think like that, but I’m not sure anymore.” Kurt said, looking down and sighing in defeat.

“Don’t think like that, Kurt.” Blaine said, getting closer and lacing his arms around Kurt’s waist. “Regardless if you have a shadow or not, today we will have a wonderful wedding. If we have to use the entire guard to protect you we will, do you understand?”

Kurt nodded. “I just thought that by now I’ll be completely in here...I’m afraid.”

“You don’t have to be.” Blaine said, turning Kurt’s body so they could look at each other. “I will protect you even with my own life. Nothing bad will happen. If by the time our wedding starts you still don’t have a shadow, I’ll ask my father to let the guard in. You don’t have to worry, okay? We will protect you.”

Kurt nodded and hugged his soon to be husband. “I just want today to be perfect.”

“It will be.” Blaine reassured him. “It will be.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you more, now…” Blaine said, raising Kurt’s face. “Are you ready for the family breakfast? It’s going to be a very chaotic one...Anderson’s style and even worst than yesterday. The last time we were all together was for Arianna’s funeral, so it wasn’t exactly a happy reunion, and now...well, you saw them yesterday. They have a lot of reasons to celebrate.”

“I’m more than ready.” Kurt admitted. “In fact, I’m looking forward for Jade’s story...he had been talking about it since yesterday.”

“I know! He always does that. He teases everybody with some sort of story and then when he finally reveals the big thing, it turns out to be some silly stuff he did.”  

“So, is it not going to be good?”

“Probably not, but it’s going to be hilarious for sure…he and the twins are always fighting. Always. So every time Jade tries to share a story the twins just make it better with their mocking jokes and hilarious remarks.”

“Yes, I saw them fighting yesterday before we started with the archery test.”

“Speaking of that, when did you get so good with the bow?” Blaine asked, twitching his eyebrows.

Kurt laughed. “Well, it turns out that I had a very good teacher.”

“You did?”

“Yes, he was soooo good. Did I ever tell you that he was also super handsome and sexy when he threw those arrows to the target?” Kurt said joking.

“Oh, really?” Blaine asked, following Kurt’s game. “How sexy?”

“Too sexy! I’d say that god-like sexy. He had those arms that could make you melt and when he focused his gaze on the target...oh my! A sin in the flesh. He was totally my type.”

“Hey!” Blaine protested. “Don’t try to make me feel jealous of myself!”

Kurt laughed and hugged Blaine. “Lucky me, he’s going to be my husband in a few hours, to have and to hold forever.”

Blaine rolled his eyes playfully and kissed him. “And ever.”

They both smiled and looked into each others' eyes — blue to hazel. The colors of the sun and the sea together.

They were lost in their little moment, when there was a knock on the door.

“Kurt, it’s me, Cooper! Are you awake?” He asked through the door.

“You have to go,” Kurt whispered. “If he sees you here, he’s going to believe that you spent the night with me and I can promise you that we won’t hear the end of it.” Kurt said, already pushing Blaine to the far wall, where he knew the secret door was.

“Fine, but wait!” Blaine said, removing the ring from his finger and placing it on Kurt’s hand again. “This is yours.”

“Kurt!” Cooper knocked again.

“Thanks, B, now go...or else your brother is going to make his way in without permission.” Kurt whispered.

Blaine nodded, and with one last until-later kiss, he opened the secret door and disappeared.

“Come in, Cooper!” Kurt exclaimed, taking a deep breath and getting himself ready to face whatever shenanigans his future brother in-law could have in mind for this early hours.

o-o-o-o-o

Breakfast as Blaine had predicted turned out to be a very chaotic Anderson’s style gathering. Kurt had always wonder why the Anderson’s dining table had so many chairs, he knew they usually had a lot of guests in the palace, but not that many to have a table for forty something people at once.

But now that they were taking their respective seats next to Cooper, Kurt thought the table wasn’t big enough.

Making a quick scanning he estimated there were at least thirty or more people, counting them. From his _‘fake’_ family only Doctor Lombardi was present, but from Blaine’s everybody was there. His uncles, aunts and cousins. They all were talking and laughing in such a family way that Kurt couldn’t help but long for his own family and imagine them sitting there with them, enjoying the wonderful breakfast that he was sure the culinary people had prepared for them. All together chatting as a big old family.

“How did you sleep, sweetheart?” Pamela asked Kurt. Only her, Richard, Cooper and Doctor Lombardi knew it had been technically his first night in Bellezza.

“Fine thank you, Pamela,” Kurt said. “I haven’t slept like that in years.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” She replied with a sincere smile on her face.

The servants started to serve breakfast and Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand in the most intimate and natural gesture. Kurt couldn’t help but notice that Richard was doing exactly the same thing with Pamela, and his heart melted. This was going to be his life from now on — maybe with less people in the table every morning, but still — and he loved every bit of it.

“So, Kurt…” Giuliana Anderson, the youngest daughter of Raphael Anderson regent of Bellona, said. “Blaine told me yesterday that you like to design clothes.”

“I do.” Kurt replied, taking a quick sip of orange juice.

“I don’t know how familiar you are with all our the traditions since you’re technically from Amerighi, but I’m about to turn 16th.” She said, as a matter explanation from bringing the clothing design topic to the table. “And it’s a really special event in the life of any Talian girl. Is when we are formally introduced to society.”

“Okay.” Kurt said, not really understanding what all of that had anything to do with the fact that he liked to design clothes.

“Aunt Pamela also informed me that you have a great taste in clothes, so I was wondering if you could perhaps help me with my dress for that Ball? I could send the tailor here so you two don't have to go to Bellona, but you could also come anytime, it would be fun and just for a couple of days.”

“I’d love to help you and-” Kurt said, sharing a quick consulting look with Blaine. “We’d love to go to Bellona, I don’t know the city so…”

“Oh my God, you’re seriously incredible, Kurt!” Giuliana said, standing from her chair and running to give Kurt a quick hug.

“Giuliana, behave yourself. And watch your language.” Raphael immediately said.

“I’m sorry, father. I got excited. It won’t happen again.” She said, taking her seat again, but winking playfully at Kurt and Blaine, and mouthing to them, _‘Best cousins in the world!’_

Kurt and Blaine smiled at her and returned their attentions to their respective breakfast plates. Soon the small conversations started to take over the table and Kurt found himself trying not to miss a single one of them. Especially the one that was happening at the end of the table were Jade Anderson, Felix’s only son, was full on sharing his amazing story about swords, fights and a particular lady who according to him, was some sort of sorceress; while the twins, as Blaine had already warned him, were making fun of him.

o-o-o-o-o

The day quickly slipped by and the time to get ready for the wedding finally arrived. The guests were already arriving so, very reluctantly Kurt and Blaine had separated and gone to different rooms within the palace, promising to see each other again in front of the altar.

The room in which Kurt was getting ready for the wedding was very similar to the tailoring room in which he had been making all the previous measurements for his suit, but this one was a bit different. It had walls covered in mirrors instead of fancy wooden panels like the rest of the rooms, and a single pedestal where he was currently standing while his serving-maid and the tailor made the proper and final adjustments.

“Could you turn around again, Your Highness?” The tailor said.

Kurt nodded, and turned facing the tailor who was fixing the hem of the pants.

“Now, could you bend a little bit, just to make sure we have the right measure.” The tailor said again.

Kurt nodded and bent a little, having to rest his hands above his tights since he had been feeling a little lightheaded due to the nervousness.

Although he had told Blaine he was okay, the truth was that he was beyond nervous. In the first place he was getting married, like really getting married and even though that thrilled him, he couldn’t help but also feel anxious and nervous about it. But what really had him on the verge of going crazy was the problem with his shadow. He was still a _itinerante_ faking to be an Amerighi boy from this world, and he was afraid of what might happen later when he had to walk down the aisle.

“You can straighten yourself now, Your Highness.” The tailor said.

Kurt straightened himself and had to grab from Eloise because the whole room started to spin and he felt like fainting for a minute.

“Are you okay?” A voice said, peeking through the door.

Kurt immediately felt the blood returning to his body. “Ray!” He exclaimed, “Oh, thank God you’re back!” He said, stepping down from the pedestal and completely ignoring the tailor and Eloise.

“Are you okay?” Ray asked, noticing Kurt’s still-a-bit pale face.

“Yes, I just felt a bit dizzy, but it must have been because of all the nerves and-” He trailed off.

Ray made a hand motion to let the servants know that he wanted to speak in private with Kurt, and they waited until they were alone.

“I still don’t have a shadow.” Kurt said, as a matter of explanation. That phrase summed up all his worries.

“I know.” Ray said simply.

“Did Blaine tell you?”

Ray shook his head. “No, I haven’t seen him yet. I wanted to see you first. I knew you’d be worried about it. But don’t worry, if my calculations are correct, you’ll have a shadow in a couple of hours at most.”

“Really? How do you know?”

Ray smiled conspicuously and shrugged. “Let’s say that I just know...how was everything yesterday?”

“Amazing!” Kurt shared excited, “I beat Blaine in two of the contests.”

“Let me guess...archery and crafting.”

Kurt nodded smiling. “He was so impressed when I aimed all the arrows right in the center. I bet he didn’t see that coming.”

Ray laughed. “It seems you were born for this life.” Ray said, and Kurt’s smile died a little. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just-” Kurt trailed off. “I feel kind of guilty for enjoying this so much, when I know my family must be devastated back in Lima.”

Ray gave Kurt a fatherly smile and instead of saying something, he took something from inside his always-black cloak. It was a red velvet sack.

“I have a wedding present just for you.” The old _itinerante_ said, handing him the sack. “I know the huge sacrifice you made in order to save your life, and even though this won’t start to fix in any matter what it’s going to happen soon, it will certainly help you feel better and to not feel guilty about enjoying this new life you have and deserve.”

Kurt frowned confused. “What is it? Is it a new talisman to go back to Lima?”

“No, it’s not. We will take care of that later, but why don’t you open it? I’m sorry about the wrapping, but I didn’t have time. Technically, I’m just arriving.”

“Where were you?”

“You’ll know in just a minute, just open the sack, Kurt.”

Kurt very hesitantly opened the sack and inside there was a silver framed mirror.

“A mirror?” He asked confused.

“It’s not just a mirror, Kurt, is one of my special mirrors.” Ray said, smiling at him.

“But I don’t know anyone in this world with whom I could possibly want to communicate.”

Ray laughed a little. “I know that, and this mirror doesn’t work in Bellezza...or Talia for that matter.”

Kurt stopped breathing for a moment, it was as if suddenly all the pieces fit together. With anxious eyes he took the mirror from inside the sack and hold it in his hands. The image was blurry, but he could recognize the image in front of him even in his sleep.

“My house!”

Ray nodded, smiling. “It’s going to be a bit unstable for some years, but with time this mirror will be as clear as mines and you’ll be able to watch them anytime.”

Kurt was speechless. In the blurry image on the mirror he could see his dad’s room. He couldn’t hear him, but judging by the dim light he was sure he had fallen asleep with the TV on.

“As you have already noticed, your father has the other one, so he will be able to see you too. You won’t be able to communicate verbally, but at least see each other and pass on some written messages.”

Kurt smiled so broadly he thought his cheeks were going to explode, and launched himself into Ray’s barely open arms. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Kurt said, while tears spilled down his face. “This is the best wedding present ever!”

“Wait till you see the fireworks.” Ray said, smiling proudly. “I outdid myself this time.”

Kurt laughed wiping the tears from his eyes. Life couldn’t be more perfect for him at that precise moment. Shadow or not.

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine was standing in a similar room as Kurt was where a tailor was helping him with the last details of his attire. He was looking at himself in the mirror and smiling like a five year old opening his presents on Christmas’ morning.

“Looking good!” Ray exclaimed, making his way inside the room.

“Ray!” Blaine exclaimed back, taking a small jump and making the tailor to stumble back. “My apologies, sir.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness.” The tailor immediately said, recovering his previous position and finishing Blaine’s suit.

“When did you arrive?” Blaine asked.

“Almost an hour ago, but I was with your future husband to be.”

“So, do you know what’s happening?” Blaine asked carefully, aware of the servants present in the room.

“I do, but you two don’t have to worry. I already took care of that.”

Blaine frowned confused.

“I went to _Amerighi._ ” Ray said, emphasizing the word so Blaine knew he was actually referring to Lima.

“You did? For real?”

“Yes.” Ray nodded. “And I took care of the matter myself, so it will happen any time now. I also gave Kurt an extra wedding gift that I’m sure he’ll share with you as soon as you two have some time alone after the ceremony.”

“What is it?”

“A silly thing, don’t worry about that.” Ray said, making a dismissing gesture with his hands. “But look at you! You look exactly like your father, well don’t tell him I said this, but you look better, you have the beauty and grace of your mother.”

Blaine smiled broadly, he had all his emotions bubbling under the surface and he just needed a little push to let them flow.

“I’m so glad to be here today and witness how you finally reach your own happiness.” Ray said, placing a hand on Blaine’s shoulder. “Since you were a little baby I always looked at you and saw something else. You are special Blaine, and I’m happy that you’ve found your special someone in Kurt. You two are more than meant to be together and-” Ray trailed off a little bit. His voice was cracking.

“Excuse this old man...I'm a little sentimental.” He said, recovering his composure. “But today is a very happy day for all of us who love you and well, I think I just want to wish you all the best. I wasn’t present yesterday to send a lantern to the sky with all my best wishes, but tonight when the lights touch the sky, remember that I wish you two all the happiness in the world. You both deserve it.”

Blaine stepped down from the pedestal and embraced Ray. “You don’t know how much your words mean to me, Ray. Besides being my friend, you’re like a second father to me. And if there’s someone in this palace who always looked for my happiness that’s you, so I’m beyond grateful to share this day with you.” Blaine said, wiping the few tears that had managed to escape from his eyes. “I love you dearly, Ray.”

“I love you too, little one.”

Blaine laughed sweetly. “The last time you called me like that was when I turned twelve…I thought I had outgrown that nickname.”

“You did, but for me you will always be my little one.” Ray said, giving Blaine a sweet smile — the ones he very rarely used, but that Blaine knew where reserved just for him. “Now, are you ready to say I do?”

Blaine nodded frantically. “Yes! I can’t wait!”

“Then let’s go, it’s time!”


	37. Chapter 37

The Anderson’s palace was buzzing with a frantic activity. Servants came and went from the Grand Salon carrying thousands of trays with bubbling glasses with the most delicate wines in all Talia. All their guests — _la creme de la creme_ of the country — were gathered there just waiting for the ceremony to start. They were wearing their best clothes and making the whole scene look like a page ripped out from a fairy-tale book.

Kurt, who was peeking through one of the small windows from the room where he was waiting, gasped surprised with the display of elegance that was happening inside the palace.

“It’s very crowded.” He whispered.

“I heard one of the servers saying that all your guests have arrived.” Eloise shared. She was supposed to be waiting with Kurt until it was his time to walk down the aisle.

“I don’t know all these people. I barely know Blaine’s family.” Kurt shared his concerns. “And, do you know if there’s a lot of people gathered on the open courtyard?” Kurt asked.

Like any other festivity in Bellezza, a Royal wedding was a big deal for the city. Even though the town was not invited to the actual ceremony, it was a tradition among the Bellezzans to gather at the open courtyard for the Royal announcement that happened once the wedding was over and the coronation had taken place, just before the fireworks started.

“The whole city is here and the lagooners too.” Eloise informed.

“Oh, God.” Kurt whispered, slightly concerned. He was getting married and would be presented as a Prince of the Kingdom, all in the same day. If that was not a very unusual way to start a marriage he didn’t know what it was.

“Don’t worry, I’ve only been at one of these celebrations when Your Highness, Prince Cooper, got married, but usually it’s the same protocol you used at the Engagement announcement. You just wait for the King to address to the people, and then you two will walk together and wave at the crowd. Then the fireworks will start and the rest is just celebration.”

“Really?”

“Yes, the announcement is quite long, because the King has to wait for all the wedding guests to be in line at the balcony, so he talks about previous marriages among the family and how all of them remained together until their final day. He shares some good wishes for you both and when the crowd is finally in dead silence, he makes the announcement welcoming in this case you, to the family and that’s it. Just smile and wave when your future husband does it.”

“Thank you!” Kurt said, giving Eloise a soft smile.

“People already love you so everything will be fine. Now just focus on marrying the Prince.”

“You’re right.” Kurt said, stepping away from the window. “I have to focus on that and-”

There was a knock on the door. Eloise rushed to opened it and Ray and Edward Lombardi made their way in.

“Still no changes?” Ray asked, aware of Eloise.

Kurt just shook his head.

“Well, you don’t have to worry!” Doctor Lombardi exclaimed. “Nobody will notice it, you know why?” He asked.

Kurt shook his head again.

Ray made Eloise a small motion with his hand to let her know she could go now. Eloise nodded and walked away from the room.

“Because…” Doctor Lombardi continued, “you won’t be entering alone. I’ll be going with you, so I hope that helps a little to hide your lack of shadow.”

“Really?” Kurt asked, suddenly relieved. It was not a tradition in Bellezza for the grooms to enter with someone to the altar, but apparently they were going to make an exception.

“Of course, my dear grandson. We knew you were worried so we talked with the King and Queen, and decided to change the rules a little.”

“Oh my God! Really? You’re not playing with me, are you?”

“Yes, really. And no, I’m not playing. What kind of fake grandfather do you think I am?”

“The best?” Kurt asked playfully. He only knew this man for less than 24 hours, but he already liked him.

“The best of the best!” The first _itinerante_ said, proudly of himself. “Now, let’s go.”

“Is it time already?” Kurt asked a bit alarmed, and both Ray and Doctor Lombardi nodded at the same time. “Oh, God! I’m going to be sick!”

“You are not having second thoughts, are you?” Ray asked playfully, already anticipating the answer.

“Of course not!” Kurt exclaimed. “I’m just very nervous, aren’t people supposed to get nervous before their weddings?”

“Yes, they are, but try to be more excited than nervous.”

“I am very excited, but I’m equally nervous...I guess that’s the problem.” Kurt exhaled. “Anyway...I’m glad my fake grandfather is going to escort me because otherwise I’m sure I’d pass out in front of everyone.”

Ray and Doctor Lombardi’s expressions changed dramatically.

“What?” Kurt asked innocently.

“Are you going to keep your engagement ring on or replace it with your wedding band?”

“I’m going to keep both, according to Blaine my wedding band is slightly thicker than his...why?”

“Then you can’t pass out, Kurt!” Ray exclaimed. “If you start to feel dizzy then run. If you pass out still being a _itinerante_ and wearing that ring-” He pointed to Kurt’s finger. “-then you’ll disappear. Literally. And let's not add the fact that you're about to die in your own world so an accident like that could be fatal.”

“Oh.” Kurt breathed out. He hadn’t thought about that. “Do you have some tonic or whatever that can help me with that?”

“No.” Ray said, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry,” Kurt replied, taking a deep breath. “I won’t pass out. I’ll focus on reaching Blaine and that will help. I got this!”

“Excellent idea! When the mind is set to reach a certain purpose, or in this case person, it can make amazing things. Good thinking, young man.” Doctor Lombardi exclaimed, clearly delighted. “Now I see why that notebook ended up in your hands. Only a very smart _itinerante_ can make a talisman to choose him.”

Kurt smiled.

“I told you he was clever.” Ray said.

“But it’s always good to confirm it for myself,” Doctor Lombardi replied, “Now…” He added, extending his hand towards Kurt. “Shall we?”

Kurt nodded enthusiastically and followed his master and fake grandfather out of the room. He was ready to get married

o-o-o-o-o

Blaine was waiting at the far entrance of the Grand Salon. His mother, wearing a very elegant and simply stunning blue dress with silver rhinestones, was standing next to him, grabbing his arm firmly.

Blaine was anxious, his fingers were twitching around the handkerchief that one of the servants had handed him to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

“Try to calm yourself down, sweetheart.” Pamela said.

“I can’t.” Blaine said, “I’m nervous and excited, and extremely happy, all at the same time. I think that when I finally marry Kurt I'm going to explode, like one of Ray’s fireworks.”

“That’s physically impossible, sweetheart, but I do understand how you’re feeling. I was feeling exactly the same thing when I married your father, but I can assure you that you won’t explode.”

Blaine smiled. “Do you think he has a shadow already?”

“Raymond told you not to worry about that, so don’t think about it. Even if he had none, Raymond and Doctor Lombardi will take care of it. That’s why we decided to change this part of the tradition.”

“Yes, you’re right as usual, mother.” Blaine said, taking a deep breath. “Thank you.”

They both set into a peaceful silence until Blaine said, “Is it hard to be married?”

Pamela tried not to laugh before answering. “Are you seriously asking me about marriage seconds before your wedding?”

Blaine nodded.

“Well, sometimes it is hard, but such is life, sweetheart. The good thing about being married is that when those hard and very difficult times come, you have your better half by your side standing with you ready to fight, and therefore everything just gets easier.” Pamela said in all her wisdom.

“Are you still in love with father even after all these years?”

Pamela shook her head, surprising Blaine who looked at her with some horror in his eyes. “I’m even more in love with him. When my mother, your late grandmother, told me these same words so many years ago, I didn’t believe her. But with time I happened to learn that everything was true. Love is like a tree, Blaine. It will grow tall and strong if you know how to cultivate it. Try to nature it every day, showing your husband how much you love him and encouraging him to do the same. I’m sure Kurt is the one for you, so just treasure what you two have, each and every day, and everything will be fine.”

Blaine smiled and just when he was about to reply, the music on the other side of the door started to echo through the room. Two members of the Royal Guard opened the double wooden doors revealing all the guests, sitting in the arranged set of pews placed there, expecting for the grooms to make their entrance.

“It’s time.” Pamela whispered softly, only for Blaine to hear.

“Hold me tight, mother.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I got you...I always will."

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt, grabbed from his fake grandfather’s arm, made his way to the door where he was supposed to enter the Grand Salon. Knowing that Blaine was already waiting for him on the other side of the doors and down the aisle, made his anticipation to grow.

Taking a deep breath, he looked down one last time to see if he had a shadow already, but down on the floor where his shadow was supposed to be casting against the marbled floor, there was none.

“Don’t worry, Kurt, nobody will notice.” The first _itinerante_ told him.

Kurt just nodded taking a new mouthful of air.

“Focus on reaching Blaine at the other side of the aisle and just try not to pass out.” Doctor Lombardi said, “If you feel weak or dizzy just motion me and I’ll help you get out of there in time, okay?”

Kurt nodded and straightened up his head, fixing his eyes to the front. _‘Focus on reaching Blaine, focus on reaching Blaine.’_ He kept repeating himself until the wooden doors swung open.

“Don’t let go of me, okay?” Kurt murmured.

“Don’t worry, I got you.”

They both smiled and started to walk. The moment they made it through the threshold Kurt’s eyes fixed on Blaine. His soon to be husband looked dazzling. He was wearing a dark suit with a silver band across his chest — the sign of nobility, which Kurt would be wearing after that night every time they had a formal event. A polished sword hung from his belt and his hair was styled like he had never seen it before. He looked like a real Prince. His soon to be Prince.

Blaine smiled at him and Kurt found himself smiling back. In that small shared moment nothing else mattered, and Kurt started to rush his pace.

“Slow, my boy,” Doctor Lombardi murmured, “enjoy the moment.”

Kurt didn’t reply, but slowed his strides without taking his eyes away from Blaine who had the most beautiful of the smiles on his face. When they reached the first rows of guests Kurt noticed that all the looks were fixed on him, and he suddenly felt exposed.

The aisle looked like the longest path he had ever walked, although the reward at the end was totally worth it.

Almost at the middle of the aisle, Kurt passed next to the Smythe’s and he couldn’t help but peeked and see if they were looking at him, and they all were. All their eyes were fixed on him, except Sebastian’s, who although the rest of his family was looking at the floor.

Panic started to grow inside of Kurt and his eyes met Sebastian’s for a second. In that moment Kurt knew that the young Smythe had seen what he was so afraid the rest of the guests would notice — that he didn’t have a shadow.

Sebastian opened his mouth, certainly willing to call him out then and there, and Kurt had to grab himself tighter from Doctor Lombardi’s arm because his body felt heavy and different all at the same time. For a split second he thought he was going to finally pass out or that Sebastian was going to call him out, but the blankness never arrived and the other boy didn’t speak up. Everything happened so quickly that he was sure nobody else had noticed it, but he was suddenly no longer dizzy and on the floor, cast on the marble stones was his shadow.

o-o-o-o-o

Although Blaine was sure nobody had noticed what had just happened, he did. He hadn’t taken his eyes away from his ravishing fiance, and he had seen the shadow magically appearing by his feet. He knew it had officially happened and that Kurt’s body had died in his world. Now Kurt was a Bellezzan, trapped in this world...forever.

He had also noticed the look on Sebastian’s face. The young Smythe looked seriously mortified, but mostly confused. Blaine was sure he had seen the shadow appearing too.

Kurt made his way to where Blaine was and smiled at him. He looked extremely happy and that gave Blaine a sense of relief. He couldn’t help but still feel concerned about the fact that Kurt had just given up his life in his world.

“You look lovely.” Blaine whispered, smiling at Kurt.

“So do you.” Kurt whispered back.

Doctor Lombardi made the statutory gesture of giving Kurt’s hand to Blaine, and the moment their hands touched everything was okay. They were where they belonged.

Blaine leaned over and whispered, “Your shadow does too.”

Kurt let out a small laugh. “I know.”

“Then, let’s get married.” Blaine said.

Kurt nodded and they both assumed their respective positions for the ceremony. Before sitting down on his chair, Kurt turned around to look at Ray and his fake grandfather, they both had satisfied smiles on their faces. They knew it had finally happened.

o-o-o-o-o

The ceremony was a bit long for Kurt’s taste. It was not a secret that in his world Kurt didn’t consider himself a believer. Since his mother died, he had started to lose his faith, and then when he finally came up in good terms with his sexuality and the harassment started, he used to blame God for making him gay and miserable.

When he first decided to marry Blaine in Bellezza he never considered what that would actually mean. It was a different century and it was obvious that the legal wedding where they just signed some paperwork was not an option, so after laughing at his own naivety, he had happily resigned to the imminent religious ceremony he would have to endure.

However, now that he was listening to all those beautiful lectures and verses about love being patient and kind, and not being envious but hopeful, he felt different about the whole ceremony, and to his surprise he was actually enjoying and appreciating the meaning behind it. He liked the idea of something or someone so powerful and beyond any man’s reach actually blessing their union forever.

After some more lectures, gospels and the homily, the priest — who happened to be the same one who had married Blaine’s parents — asked the guests and the grooms to stand up.

“Blaine and Kurt, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?” The priest asked.

“We have.” They both replied at the same time.

“Will you love and honor each other as husbands for the rest of your lives?”

“We will.” They replied in unison again.

The priest then asked them to repeat their vows after him, following the traditional protocol.

Blaine started. “I, Blaine Devon Anderson, take you, Kurt Hummel, to be my beloved husband to have and to hold forever. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. To treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, and to love and cherish you forever. I promise you this from the bottom of my heart, for all the days of my life.” He said, so sure of himself that Kurt was afraid he was going to sound silly repeating the same words.

“Now it’s your turn, Lord Hummmel.” The priest told Kurt.

“I, Kurt Hummel,” Kurt said, his voice was a bit shaky, but he managed to sound as secure as Blaine did. “-take you, Blaine Devon Anderson, to be my beloved husband to have and to hold forever. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. To treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, and to love and cherish you forever. I promise you this from the bottom of my heart, for all the days of my life.” Kurt repeated.

Cooper walked next to them with the rings in hand and after the priest blessed them, he asked the grooms to exchange some words while placing their rings on their respective fingers. It was the first time Kurt saw the rings, Blaine had kept them as a surprise — another of his wedding presents, he had said.

“Kurt, my love, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Blaine said.

When the silver ring touched his finger, Kurt felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach, like if all his life he had been waiting for this moment.

“Blaine,” Kurt said, with a huge smile on his face. “take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” He said, placing the other ring on his now husband’s hand.

The priest smiled pleased with the ceremony and after raising his hands up to heaven he said, “What God has joined, men must not divide. You may now kiss.”

Kurt and Blaine smiled at each other and exchanged a lingering sweet kiss while the whole room erupted into cheers.

“Now, I declare you husband and husband. You may go in peace.” The priest declared, finishing the ceremony.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other one last time and started to walk hand in hand again through the long aisle between cheers of celebration and exclamations of joy. In that moment there was no one in that room that didn’t notice that they were the happiest men in the world.


	38. Chapter 38

Kurt and Blaine made their way from the altar to the coronation table. The King, along with the Queen, the Pope and the Royal Advisor were standing there. Two servants, dressed in elegant robes, stood some steps behind carrying two purple velvet cushions with two identical silver crowns on top of them.

Kurt didn't know what to do, but he followed his husband and mirrored each and every one of his movements. When both of them were knelt in front of the King, Richard Anderson took a step forward and cleared his throat in front of the crowd.

"Greetings, populace and nobility from Talia. I, Richard Anderson, on behalf of the Royal Crown of this Kingdom and the Reman church, stand here today to give Blaine and Kurt Anderson, their new status as Princes of this Kingdom and Dukes of this city.” The King said, looking at the crowd gathered there and the two boys knelt in front of him.

“Blaine and Kurt, do you wish to be proclaimed Princes of the Anderson’s Kingdom and advance to Duchy status, and hereby be crowned as the new Dukes of Bellezza?” The King asked, following the statutory protocol.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Both, Kurt and Blaine, replied at the same time.

The King called the Royal Advisor, Signor Raymond Armati, to come to the front.

“Could you testify that these individuals have been good and fair, and are members of the Royal family by the rules of the Reman Church and the Talian’s laws?”

“I could.” Raymond replied.

“Are these individuals serving any current punishment, or have been found guilty with any current faults that would impede their accepting of this position, as set forth by the Talian’s Laws?”

“No.” Raymond replied.

The King took the state sword and placed it in front of Kurt and Blaine, who placed their hands on top of it.

“Here do I swear,” They both said in unison, “by mouth and hand, fealty to the Royal Crown of Talia and to the Anderson’s Kingdom. To uphold the bylaws, writs and codicils of the Anderson’s Kingdom, to be a fair and loyal administrator to Our populace, to place these states under the banner of the Duchy of Bellezza; To listen to Our estates holders, populace, and children; to protect Our populace and dispense justice when appropriate. And to carry out Our duties to the best of Our abilities. So say We, Blaine and Kurt Anderson.”

The King nodded and following the protocol, he said. “For our part, here do we swear by mouth and hand, to acknowledge your fealty to the Royal Crown. To aid you in your duties as rulers of this Duchy, to acknowledge the estates under the banner of the Duchy of Bellezza. To offer counsel and guidance in your efforts, to uphold the bylaws, writs and codicils of the Anderson’s Kingdom, and to champion your cause as the Duchy of Bellezza. So say We, Richard and Pamela Anderson, King and Queen of this Kingdom.”

Raymond continued. “In the name of the Royal Crown. As set forth by the Bylaws of the Anderson’s Kingdom, You, as a Duchy, are a Kingdom in training. You are responsible for well developed ministries, you are responsible for administration of this subdivision, your ministries shall report routinely to the corresponding Imperial counterparts. You must continue to meet all requirements for Duchy status, you may not create knights by prerogative. Ducal codicils and writs must be approved by the Royal Crown. You cannot make Laws, yet are to govern yourselves. You shall rule until you resign or are removed by the populace, or updated in your current status by the Royal Crown.”

The Pope, much to his distaste, made a quick blessing of the crowns and after reciting some verses from the Bible and a prayer; he made both Kurt and Blaine to swear allegiance to the church and its rules.

“The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God.” Kurt and Blaine repeated, kissing the Bible presented in front of them and the Oath.

Richard drew the state sword again and carefully, he placed the point on each of Blaine shoulders, reaffirming him as Prince of the Kingdom and proclaiming him Duke of Bellezza, his new royal status as a married man. Then, the King did the same with Kurt, proclaiming him both Prince of the Kingdom and Duke of Bellezza at the same time.

“Your Majesty.” The Royal advisor said.

Pamela took a step forward and taking the first silver crown, she placed it on top of her son’s head. Then she moved to where Kurt was and after placing the silver band across his chest — giving him his new status of nobility — she placed an identical crown on his head.

A deathly silence filled the Grand Salon.

“Please arise.” The King indicated to Kurt and Blaine, who immediately stood to their feet. “Ladies and gentlemen, I here present unto you, Princes Kurt and Blaine Anderson.”

The crowd cheered for the newest members of the Royal family.

“Please take your place in this Royal throne.” The King said, indicating the two empty chairs upon the Royal dais.

Kurt and Blaine walked hand in hand and took a seat on their assigned places. Kurt was squealing with joy, the whole ceremony had been more than he had expected in the first place.

The crowd gave a huge round of applause and then the King stepped in front of them and started the round of congratulations, followed by the rest of the family.

o-o-o-o-o

Kurt and Blaine spent the next half an hour between hugs and kisses from all the members of their family who were ecstatic for their union and their new royal status.

When the Smythe’s started to show up on the Royal dais too, Kurt had to work so hard to keep the smile on his face. They were congratulated by all of them one by one. The newly wed couple tried to be as polite as possible, especially when Rinaldo Smythe approached them.

“Well, on behalf of my family I want to sincerely congratulate you both and give you my best wishes.” Rinaldo said.

“Thank you very much, Ambassador Smythe.” Blaine said. “On behalf of my family and my husband we receive your good wishes and invite you to enjoy the celebration.” He said, being as polite as possible.

“Thank you very much.” Rinaldo said, walking away.

“Oh, no.” Kurt whispered, only for Blaine to hear. Sebastian was approaching the dais.

“I guess here is when I have to say congratulations?” The young Smythe said, in his always sarcastic and mocking tone.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

“Well, then congratulations.” Sebastian said, looking back and forth between the two boys, but still fixing his eyes on Kurt. It was clear he wanted to ask something. “How did you do it?” He finally said.

“Do what?” Kurt asked back, he knew what he was talking about, but pretended otherwise. He was not letting the Smythe to ruin his good mood.

“Your shadow.” Sebastian said, as a matter of explanation.

“What are you talking about?” Kurt said, squeezing Blaine’s hand tightly.

“Do not dare to try to play with me, Kurt. I know what you are and I don’t know how you did it, but one second you didn’t have a shadow and the next one you did. I know you’re one of them.”

“One of them?” Kurt asked, trying not to laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I do believe that you already had too much wine, Sebastian.” Kurt said.

Sebastian pointed a menacing finger against Kurt. He didn’t like to pass as fool, and certainly that mocking smile on Kurt’s face was making him feel like one.

Blaine noticed the change in their guest demeanor and immediately stepped in front of his husband. “Don’t you dare to point a finger to my husband, Sebastian.” He said, in a more menacing and deadly serious tone. “Do not forget in front of who you are now.”

Sebastian seemed to be struck for a moment with Blaine’s response, but he recovered himself almost immediately, stepping back a little. “I apologize for my bad behavior.” He said in a sarcastic tone. “And I apologize if I offended you in any way Your _oh-so-magnificent_ Highness.” He added with a very exaggerated bow toward Kurt.

Kurt and Blaine both rolled their eyes, Blaine still standing in front of his husband, protecting him.

“Enjoy the celebration, Sebastian.” Kurt said, being a polite host.

“I will,” He said, walking away. “And this is not over, Your Highness. I’m going to find out what happened because I’m not crazy, I know what I saw.” He added before completely turning around and stepping down from the dais.

“Good luck with that.” Kurt murmured to his husband, who immediately laughed along with him. They both knew there was no way the young Smythe could prove Kurt was anything but another Bellezzan boy — their secret was safe.

They laughed relieved for a few seconds before they had to continue attending the rest of the guests who were eager to greet them and congratulate them on their wedding.

"My friends!" Someone exclaimed.

Kurt and Blaine turned around to see Jeff and Trent making their ways to the dais. They were smiling broadly and as soon as they reached them, they covered them both in a bone-crushing hug, making them forget about the small incident they had just had with the young Smythe.

o-o-o-o-o

When the round of congratulations finally ended, the King cleared his throat to draw the attention of all their guests and make the official toast. All the glasses were filled with the most fancy Bellezzan wine, and raised in honor of the new couple.

After the toast, the King invited all the guests to step out to the Salon’s terrace to witness the official announcement to the town.

The guests very slowly started to make their way to the terrace, while the Royal family walked to the upper balcony.

“Shall we?” Blaine said, extending his hand towards Kurt.

Kurt took it without second thoughts.

“Are you happy?” Blaine asked, while they started to walk.

“More than happy, B.” Kurt said, leaning over and briefly kissing Blaine on the lips. “We just got married!” He exclaimed, finally letting all his enthusiasm to fly free.

“I know!” Blaine exclaimed back, mirroring the enthusiasm. “Now you’re my husband to have and to hold forever.”

“And ever.” Kurt said, leaning for another kiss.

“What have I told you about the public display of affection?” Cooper said, interrupting them. “Leave it for the room, now we have to hurry.”

“Leave us alone!” Blaine said playfully, kissing Kurt again just because he could and wanted to bother his brother.

“You two are so gross!” Cooper said, “I don’t even want to be near your chambers tonight. God knows what noises I’ll have to hear.”

“Cooper!” Pamela exclaimed, she was just making her way to where they were standing. “Leave them alone and stop making those insinuations. They are improper and very disrespectful. That’s not the vocabulary a Prince and future King should use. Apologize yourself.” She scolded her son.

“I’m sorry, mother.” Cooper immediately apologized, but winked playfully to his brother and brother in-law, letting them know that he had meant every word.

The group made their way to the upper balcony and the King entered, followed by Pamela and Cooper, leaving Kurt and Blaine waiting inside the room to the right moment to emerge.

o-o-o-o-o

The announcement, like both the wedding and coronation ceremony, was longer than what Kurt had expected. They both were waiting anxiously inside the room and peeking through the window to catch a glimpse of the people there. They all were listening expectantly to what the King was saying.

“Is it normal that I’m kind of more nervous about this than the other two ceremonies?” Kurt asked, leaning his head on Blaine’s shoulder.

“Really?”

“Yes, what if people don’t like me? What if they boo me?”

“Nobody is going to boo you, my love. On the contrary, I’m almost certain that half of the men and women standing there are going to fall in love with you at first sight. I noticed some girls and boys fainting when we announced our engagement.” Blaine said, “Luckily, you’re mine so they can watch all they want, but the only one who is allowed to do this,” He leaned down for a kiss. “And this,” another kiss — with tongue involved. “It’s me.”

Kurt laughed. “You know I could say the same about you. Don’t you think I haven’t noticed the way everybody looks at you? But they can watch all they want.” He said, using Blaine’s words. “Because the only one who is allowed to do this,” He leaned for a kiss too, “and this,” another kiss. “It’s me.”

“Only you.” Blaine reassured him.

Kurt smiled broadly and exhaled. They fell into a peaceful silence where only the King’s voice could be heard, until Blaine asked.

“What was Ray’s wedding gift for you?”

“This.” Kurt said, taking the small velvet bag from inside his long cloak.

Blaine opened it and saw with awe what it was. “I can’t believe it.”

“I know, right? It was the best gift ever. Now I’ll get to see them every day if I want.”

“That is incredible, my love.” Blaine said with a smile.

“Yes, it is. I just wish I had brought with me a talisman. Ray told me we would take care of it later, but I wish I had thought about it and bring something earlier. I was so distracted with the wedding details and the coronation ceremony that it slipped from my mind. You still have the pin I gave you, but I have nothing.”

Blaine let out a soft laugh. “Look at our wedding rings with more detail, my love.”

Kurt frowned confused and looked at the silver ring shining in his hand. It was a simple wedding band all in silver. He couldn’t see anything special.

“Remove it from your finger.” Blaine said.

Kurt did what he was told to and noticed that there was something engraved inside the band. The words _‘Fearlessly and Forever.’_ Words Blaine had used when he first proposed.

“Awww that’s sweet but-”

Blaine removed his ring too and placed it next to Kurt’s. Kurt looked at both of them in confusion; he still didn’t understand what Blaine was trying to say.

Blaine rolled his eyes playfully when he noticed the clueless eyes his husband was giving him, so he grabbed both rings and put them near the candle so Kurt could see more clearly. It was only then that Kurt noticed what Blaine wanted him to notice. The words in both rings were not engraved; they were actually cast in the band, with a different kind of metal — copper.

“I melted the pin you gave me and split it in two. Now our rings are our tickets to go back to your world, but they only work if they are together so we can just go there if our rings are touching and we fall asleep.”

“Oh my God!” Kurt exclaimed excited. “And, do they really work?”

“Yes, Ray helped me with this and I already tested them. I traveled to your graduation ceremony using them. They can bring us back to your father's house whenever you want.”

Kurt smiled broadly and launched himself towards his husband’s open arms. He couldn’t believe how much he loved the man he had in front of him. “I love you so much!” He exclaimed, kissing him deeply, trying to pour into that one kiss everything that he was feeling.

“And I love you too.” Blaine said, kissing him again.

They kissed for some seconds until they both were out of breath.

“So…” Kurt said, trying to ease his breathing. “I just can go back to Lima with you, huh?”

Blaine nodded.

“Then I guess a divorce is not an option.” Kurt joked.

Blaine laughed. “My love, we live in the 16th century. There’s no such thing as a divorce in here. I’m afraid you’re tied to me until your final day.”

Kurt laughed. “Well, it doesn't matter anyway because I couldn't possibly live in a world in which you’re not with me. In fact, I believe you are my world, B.”

Blaine smiled warmly. “Your are my world too, Kurt.”

“I guess we are each others' worlds, then.” Kurt said.

“We are.” Blaine nodded, leaning over again to kiss those lips he happened to be so addicted to. He didn’t know what it was happening with him tonight, but Kurt’s lips were working like magnets to his own lips.

“Your Royal Highnesses.” One of the servants interrupted. “Sorry for interrupting, but it’s time.” He warned them.

Kurt laughed a little and whispered into Blaine’s ear, “I’m kind of rooting for the Royal Highness title. I think it suits me.”

Blaine laughed back. “Oh it really does, my love. It really does.” Blaine said, smiling at his adorable husband.

Together they stepped into the balcony in time for the King to present, _"Kurt and Blaine Anderson, Princes of the Anderson’s Kingdom and Dukes of Bellezza,"_ while the first fireworks touched the sky, transforming the night into a magical multicolored canvas, the one you only got to see **Once Upon a Dream.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, first of all...thank you so much for reading!! Like I shared at the beginning of this story I was a bit insecure about posting it. But I'm glad I did because it allowed me to explore a world where everything is possible and I'm really happy with the result. So thanks again for all your comments and support, it meant the world to me.  
> I have a sequel for this story still in the works. I haven't written the chapters but I do have the whole plot, so if you liked this story let me know if you'd be interested in reading a sequel so I can start writing it. This new story would take place 5 years after the wedding/coronation. Both Kurt and Blaine are freshly out of the university of Padavia and they receive an invitation to go to Remora's annual horse races. Their somehow still perfect world turns upside down when they find themselves in the heart of the Smythe's emporium. Jealously, betrayal, the arrival of a new itinerante from Kurt's world and a great tragedy forces them to make decisions that will test their love and what they have built together all these years. I know it's sounds angsty but I can promise you it is not. Well, not that much. Just the right amount to keep the story interesting, but it ends the way I'm sure you all are going to love.  
> Anyway, let me know your opinions about this story, the sequel or whatever you want. I love reading you guys!! And once again, thanks for reading my nonsense.  
> See you soon with a new story, Alexis.  
> PS: You can find a rebloggable (tumblr) version of this story [here](http://msalexiscriss.tumblr.com/tagged/alexis%20writes) and the sequel [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5867758/chapters/13524571)


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